Andrew Server
aserver@uwyo.edu
Those rights that are outlined by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution ought not be limited by any degree on public premises. Yet we see many public and land grant university campuses setting in place First Amendment zones or safe spaces where students might be able to indulge themselves in utilizing freedom of speech and freedom of expression in select, demarcated zones. These safe spaces are the most recent efforts in the name of hypersensitivity and sacrificing undeniable rights out of fear of uncomfortable situations. Like the modern use of trigger warnings, safe spaces and First Amendment zones facilitate the head in the sand approach in discussion of topics of pertinence for the sake of making sure no one feels uncomfortable. We as a student body should be glad that our campus has not drawn a noose around our First Amendment rights in the form of safe spaces or First Amendment zones. That being said, we must assure that they never assume a presence here.
In high school it is taught that college is supposed to be a place of critical thinking where one experiences challenges to their beliefs. It is intended to help develop beliefs and ideologies and provide platforms where students might learn to face conflict. Heck, even President Obama has stated similarly. Where did it go so wrong that students must now be babied and provided solace from anything that might offend them in the form of safe spaces? Our parent’s generation fought overtly and oft times rightly for freedom of speech and freedom of expression on college campuses during their time. How hypocritical that those of the same generation are facilitating the restriction of those same freedoms because they fear it might cause uncomfortable confrontations.
Sure we see restriction of the freedom to say what one wants in such venues as theaters and other events where audience members or customers are expected to be quiet. However, those places are private institutions where the owner may set such rules in place at risk of losing business. Not being able to speak on a private premise does not equate to not being able to exercise one’s freedoms of speech and expression in the public sphere. We should be able to say what we want, how we want, when it is said on public grounds. It’s an outright infringement of the rights outlined by the First Amendment to restrict them to specific and oftentimes small zones on campus. All public land in the United States should be a First Amendment zone.
Finally, when it comes to safe spaces, what defines “safe?” What constitutes as “offensive?” If we become concerned over what is offensive to everyone to the point where we dodge more and more topics, what is there to discuss anymore? The very institutions that claim to champion critical thought are self-imploding upon their fear of talking about certain subjects. What kind of people will be graduating from those institutions where they are only permitted to say all that is on their mind within tiny boundaries of First Amendment zones? We ought to be able to say what is on our mind wherever and whenever we want. It is life to be offended every once in a while. It is life to feel reaffirmed and supported every once in a while. You can’t go through life without ever feeling offended.
It is rather pathetic that we must protect our aspiring adults from mere vocalized words. Instead of encouraging mature discussion, universities across the nation are now encouraging irrational fear through covering our ears to what is considered offensive. It is outright immoral to vice our freedoms to speech and expression on college campuses- supposed beacons of critical thinking. We come to college gaining new independence, claiming to have become adults. We should start acting like it.
