College Student Hate Speech

Still, there are differing opinions in politics on what qualifies as hate speech and where the line should be drawn to upkeep the well-being of other while allowing them to express their opinions freely. In a debate between Julia O’Reilly and Ross Walsh, two notable political minds in American politics, Julia O’Reilly argues:

“free[dom] [of] speech does not equal speech free from consequences. When you utilise your right to freedom of speech you implicitly agree that the results of that speech are your responsibility, whether they are positive or negative, and you should be held accountable for them.” (REBUTTAL (Against) – Ross Walsh)

The freedom that comes from expression does not erase the responsibility that comes with the consequences

While not all college students agree together on certain stance of free speech, a majority of students in every cultural demographic and political stance drew a line for hate speech. Most college students agree that hate speech does not deserve First Amendment protection and that people should be held liable for their comments online. That being said, college students among themselves have disagreements on what qualifies as hate speech. According to Niraj Chokshi, a writer for the New York Times, students, while they may struggle to balance free speech and inclusivity in the abstract, overwhelmingly and broadly prefer a learning environment that is open and permits offensive speech to one that is positive and limits it. The subject of free speech on college campuses students find may also be limited based upon the political views a person holds. In a survey conducted by the New York Times, college students agree that students who have liberal political views have it easier to express their opinions, with about 92 percent of students agreeing that liberals can freely express their views on campus, while only 69 percent of students said the same of conservatives. Students who identified themselves as Democrats were just as likely as the overall student population to hold those views with conservatives. In general, students also lost confidence in the security of

Those with unpopular political ideas have always borne the brunt of government. The American Civil Liberties Union expresses that, during WWI, a person could be jailed for giving out anti-war leaflets (Paragraph 2). Today, consequences of political activist may not be as extreme, but expressing controversial political stances are is still a problem in today’s world concerning forms of communications as political campaign ads against another party, debates, and public activists and political protests. The problem of speech often lies with how far people go to express their own political views. Forms of expression which insult an individual's personal dignity, damage private or public property, or discriminate against a group based or ethnicity or gender are not defended by the First Amendment. However, exposing negative information about an ideology or political viewpoint is certainly within a person’s rights. Forms of speech with reveal unpleasant truths about an ideology or subject are not considered hate speech so long as they are provided with discretion and are used to provide awareness about a problem which needs to be resolved. The problem lies in determining what category of speech a political comment falls under. Sometimes, a comment which is directed against an ideology or