I’m a Junior in high school now, and I have been reading and hearing a lot about a trend- now it seems to be referred to as regressive leftism- where dissenting opinions are put down and free speech is restricted at colleges. How much of an issue does this seem to be? Are there any particular colleges where this is a problem or not a problem?
This thread cover it well: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-life/1842665-progressives-millennials.html
Basically, all of this isn’t a trend: it’s media hype around rare and isolated incidents.
I don’t think a single college restricts free speech beyond some fringe cult colleges that you won’t find without looking for them. I don’t even know how they would even attempt to restrict free speech.
It’s a bunch of bs. Except for extreme speech (notably threats of violence), you’re not censored.
Rule number 1 in life: don’t believe the media.
It’s basically all hype
Worried ? Better learn to research your future institution, good luck.
If you are considering a school, look up their “speech codes” as they relate to “protected classes” of various groups.
Read their policies regarding “inclusion” “offensive speech” or do some general research on the increase in micro-aggression related policy and reporting regulations in academia and your prospective school.
I’m sure there will be plenty of posters who will offer to be witnesses at your disciplinary hearing if you are being called up for editing another student’s sentence during a group project report. Yes, you’ve “victimized” someone in a “protected class” Your “oppressive” action “disrespected their ideological point of view”.
Better to just avoid saying or writing anything that could put you on the PC police’s radar.
But understand, that is NOT affecting your free speech.
http://theithacan.org/news/ic-sga-passes-bill-to-create-system-to-report-microaggressions/
OP, have you heard of FIRE? This is an organization that attempts to protect free speech on college campuses. The organization’s [website](https://www.thefire.org)lists rankings for individual colleges and provides explanations as to why each ranked institution has a red, yellow, or green light. Keep in mind that many of the instances or policies they cite as problematic are often common sense and not true restrictions on speech. For instance, my school has a policy that official mass university communication should not promote one political ideology, but that certainly does not restrict individual students from exercising their rights.
I do agree with the other posters that the media magnifies the opinions of fringe college students and makes it appear as though we all support many of their actions. Also, there are very few colleges where student government has any real power.
Sounds like you need to stop reading Fox News and Breitbart.
The idea that free speech is being “restricted” at colleges is a strawman used by racist neo-reactionaries and far-right conservatives who are mad that they can’t say the N word on daytime TV anymore. There’s no such thing as “regressivism leftism”.
Wow AgentXJP you opened an account just to say that?
@AgentXJP sounds like a fun person. :))
@gettingschooled the value of his words justified creating an account, don’t you agree?
I guess they feel strongly enough about the issue to make an account. Not that we should be mocking anyone who decides to join the community for whatever reason.
Demonizing those we disagree with is an example of a closed mind. It happens on both the left and right.
Regardless of all the sides here, no school has restrictive free speech rules except for, as said before, fringe cult schools. The idea that a free speech rating for a college is even needed seems a bit silly to me.
For example, my school is given a “Red” light rating which I find laughable. In fact, the majority of schools in MA are given a “Red” rating, and the rest “Yellow” except for those unexamined or exempt. Not one school in MA has a green rating. As whenhen alluded to, most “free speech violations” listed there are not at all in actuality.
I took an intro to weather and climate class this semester where my professor was very careful when talking about climate change. He set up numerous anonymous polls about whether we believed in it. At the end of the semester, he polled us for the last time and 30% of the class didn’t believe it was real.
There’s no restriction on freedom of speech at my college, but there’s a lot of PC as displayed by my professor who didn’t want to hurt the feelings of those at the bottom of the class.
Also, I’m a Christian myself who believes in climate change - it’s not hard to do.
Yes. The idea that left is “restricting free speech” is a strawman used by neo-reactionaries
who are angry that it is no longer socially okay to be a bigot like it was in the old days.
“regressive leftism” sounds like propaganda straight out of Fox News, breitbart, /pol/ (4chan’s neo-nazi board), and etc.
I’m not demonizing anyone. If anything that’s what the topic starter is doing.
What I’m doing is explaining the type of person who usually says this stuff. The guy constantly ranting about feminism and diversity initiatives as if those things are bad, who hates modernness, hate progressives, hates liberal arts degrees, etc.
@Agentxjp The OP was just asking a question. He is 16 years old… YOU are the one making the wild assumption that he, and anyone else who brings up the topic is a hater based on your worldview.
Your initial post is an attempt to “shout him down” because you do not like what he is asking. Take a long look in a mirror.
This is not really something new, it has been around for at least 30 years, just not in its present form. People with opposing views have had to learn to keep their heads down and parrot back the beliefs of their professors for many years. In my lifetime, there has always been and anti-right bias on campus. It is just going from the classroom, to the quad. You have not heard much about these transgressions because of two main factors. People who tend to lean right are not typically those who like to use protest as a mechanism; and, the institutions of the schools and the press are predominantly liberal and do not have an interest in bringing the opposing view to light. It is what it is. Most on the right have simply accepted it and moved on.
It has never been socially OK to be a bigot, but the Constitution provides protections for all speech, not just that which we like to hear. Public universities are part of the government. The government has extended the protections of the same to all colleges that accept federal funds. Using that definition, most US universities must follow those protections. The reaction to speech with which we disagree should not be trying to outlaw it, or limit it. If it is bad, challenge it with your own words. Share your opinions and win others to your way of thinking.
Now, back to the original question. OP, there was some great advice above about doing research on your specific school choices. Talk to the students who go there. Visit the campus on an unofficial basis and see what happens when they are not recruiting.
@PengsPhils Is there any accredited US college that you consider to be a fringe cult school? (I’m just curious.)
@halcyonheather There’s a school that I saw a reference to once that was absolutely crazy and is pretty much the only reason I included that line each time. I’m sure there’s more like it. That school would be Pensacola Christian College.
via Wikipedia:
You can get expelled for talking to the opposite gender without permission. I assume OP is not looking at any schools like this.
@TomSrOfBoston No it’s not an attempt to “shout him down”. It’s simply pointing out the ridiculousness and partisan bias of what he’s implying. And being 16 does not mean that you’re incapable of basically writing what amounts to right-wing propaganda. He could’ve heard it from anywhere and maybe wanted to ask to confirm. That’s why he got answers. He’s free to ask what he wants, which is why he should know that the idea that colleges are “censoring free speech” and “regressive leftism” are ridiculously false and sounds like a neo-reactionary spin you’d read on a dishonest far-right wing place like Breitbart.
The only one who needs to take a long look in the mirror is you.