The Irony of Free Speech Zones

Nick Dasoveanu
Sep 6, 2018 · 2 min read

Ever since the 1970s, free speech in public schools has been decided by The Supreme Court to be subject to certain restrictions in order to have a productive educational environment. Students are allowed to protest and speak on various issues, but only in designated free speech zones, such as the Tate Quad at UGA. Many schools, however, are infringing upon the students’ rights in the free speech zones, further limiting how students can behave even in the zones. These limitations include the prohibition of microphones, limits on group sizings, and even designated time slots.

Whether they be student or faculty or bystander, everyone who wishes to speak publicly about an issue at a university is affected by this policy. Having one’s free speech rights restricted to a zone and then further limited to a shell of what one’s free speech rights are outside a university is unethical, and Americans’ 1st amendment rights are wholly cut down by the free speech zone practices. This policy doesn’t exist in any other institutions, and because of its ironic presence in bastions of free speech, students and faculty alike feel constrained in a manner many would call un-American.

These stakeholders already are combatting the policy. Many protest outside of the free speech zones asking for their abolishment, and trends of petitioning school administrations have already begun. The ACLU enjoys taking situations like these to state and federal courts, arguing for the continued protection of the public’s first amendment rights. Stakeholders have the option to continue speaking freely, but these students and faculty have to fight for their rights.

The presence of free speech zones is a matter of collegiate creativity, democratism, and productivity. Universities are seen as progressive areas of growth and idea flow, and students are protesting for their free speech rights every day. It’s very feasible to make free speech zones one of the talking points of these protesting students. Statewide protests are already occurring, and many states have prohibited free speech zone policies entirely. It is expected that states will continue to do so. It’s clear that free speech and productivity are at odds with each other on university campuses, but the decision makers simply have to come up with a better way to intertwine the two.

Assi, N. (2018, August 23). Code Yellow: This school won’t let students use microphones in its only free-speech zone. Retrieved September 3, 2018, from https://tinyurl.com/yaeldjka

Bauer-Wolf, J. (2018, February 2). Experts: States likely to keep abolishing free-speech zones. Retrieved from https://preview.tinyurl.com/ya38fyeo

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