Dear DDM,

I entered a scholarship contest, don't worry, no need to click any links to help out. My mission is to simply share my article and bring light to the topic of freedom of speech lacking on universities across the nation. I would enjoy responses to what I've written and I am most curious if anyone who has gone to college or currently enrolled has ever thought about or aware of our lack of rights to debate and communicate? Plus, I figure if I don't get bashed around too much from the DDMers who lurk this side of the forum, maybe I have a shot at winning. It's worth a try, right?!

More info on the contest:
http://newthreatstofreedom.com/contests/

the video:


Response to video Article:

Written by Jessica Northey

According to Wikipedia online, freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes used to indicate freedom of verbal speech but any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.

In response to Greg Lukianoff on campus censorship video, I agree that free speech should be paramount on all campuses nationwide. It is difficult to believe that 71-79 percent of colleges have speech codes that violate the principles of the First Amendment in over 400 different colleges. This is a real threat to freedom.

My perspective is about educating the student masses to understand that communication is a critical key. The students depend on the campus staff for leadership. Any university can benefit from starting to educate themselves on this topic from an outside agency that places new system organizations within the school as a checks and balances of student organizations and activities.

The new organization will act much like a board over a company, which will be made up of U.S. citizens who are passionate and experienced with free speech issues. I believe college students deserve to understand how powerful they can become when they stop thinking of themselves as only an individual. Instead, we all must understand that we have rights to communicate openly and by debate. And by doing so, our bond grows and knowledge is expanded. The campus will grow as a whole, which can only start one person at a time. As long as the free speech does not turn to hate speech and lead to violence, then the chance for our society to grow into a positive direction has many opportunities.

The team will have one main goal, to teach the campus staff to communicate more effectively amongst themselves and then with other students by discovering what is on the minds of students who otherwise may be too afraid to speak up. The third and final phase will be a required education for students about how to communicate with their peers.

The organization will review every speech code and have an elected board for voting if the codes are still needed in our changing times. We can reflect on our past to see what we have already experienced. It is time for what we inherently know as what is right, what makes our country great is the difference of rationality. Our country is only as strong as our weakest community. It is morally sound to consider embarking on something new and exciting for the future of our children and for us. This idea can develop Americans into a country of the free and the brave instead of the silenced and the fearful.