Chipping Away At Anti-Speech Zones
University "free-speech zones" have long been an affront to the First Amendment, and a betrayal of the purpose of liberal education in a free society.
It's always good news when universities begin to take note of that fact, and back away from the idea that speech should be "free" in a small, designated area of a campus, and nowhere else:
They may have come kicking and screaming, but Southwest Missouri State University's leaders did the right thing last week. They acknowledged that students should have the same First Amendment rights on campus they have when they step into the community at large.Until Friday, SMS policy restricted any rallies, demonstrations or protests to a small area in front of Plaster Student Union. The university defended this restriction on the fundamental American rights of assembly and speech by saying that while free speech was important, maintaining order and avoiding disruption of education was more important.
What the story I've linked doesn't make clear is that a conservative student activist who was prohibited from distributing his alternative student newspaper or recruiting fellow students to his group outside of said "free speech zone" brought a federal lawsuit against the university, which seems to have forced them to back away from their ridiculous stance.
So, while this is good news, it's a shame that publications have to be banned and lawsuits brought for a university to adopt a reasonable policy on the First Amendment.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 12/28/03 12:01 | Other | Technorati
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