Free Speech on College Campuses

September, 2019 a rock that is been set aside as a "free speech" rock as been scribbled with offensive words, and the Jewish community of the university is not having it.

The rock is an iconic piece of the campus, used to honor a boy who was bullied for his shirt supporting the University of Tennessee and is often drawn on by students and student groups. This time, the rock was painted with "Jews did 9-11 Google: Dancing Isrealis".The Jewish community of the school says this is not the first tine they have been targeted on this campus, stating, We are sick and tired of University of Tennessee constantly doing nothing to address this. This happens time and time again and all the university has said is ‘this is unacceptable.'”

The University Chancellor Donde Plowman wrote: ”…We condemn that hate aimed toward members of our Jewish community, and we understand that words are not enough.”

Now the school has security set up near the rock, but nothing seems to have become of it.

So now what? Can the school press charges on someone if they are caught spray painting anti Semitic messages? Can the Jewish Community at the University of Tennessee sue? Would it be a violation of free speech?

To my understanding, the University of Tenenesee is public. I am not sure that means much, but the rock is not threatening Jews, so it can not be looked at as a true threat from Subsequent Consequences.

It is not fighting words and is not incitement. Does it hurt the Jewish Community? Yes. Could it be viewed at slander? Probs not.

It sucks that someone wrote that, but unfortunately it looks like not much can really be done. I have read no updates on the story.

The question always stands around hate speech. What classifies as hate speech and what can really be done about it? Just because something is or is not true about a group, does that make it hateful?

https://www.newsweek.com/2016/06/03/college-campus-free-speech-thought-police-463536.html

This article was interesting about Lynch Memorial and how students demanded it be taken off because of racial overtones.

Is a person's name count as free speech?

I remember at University of Maryland I saw a guy holding a sign that said, "All of you will go to hell". Yeah, upsetting, but nothing can really be done. Hate speech is protected, but not fighting words, incitement or true threats.

College student,
Maddy

Comments

Transparency In the US Government

In an age of mistrust in the government, specifically in the United States of America, people are upset and feel like the government is hiding things from them. This can be as simple as where tax payer money is going, to things more extreme like Area 51, to ideas that turn into conspiracy theories like the government is part of the New World Order and the Illuminati and are lizard people. I am not kidding, this is a theory that exists. In a democracy, the people have a right to know what is happening in the government and have access to information. Especially when it comes to voting, so they can be informed and partake in politics. If the government started hiding things when it comes to Presidential elections, things could get whack real fast. Some think certain parties do hide information about their politicians, like when Trump was asked about his tax returns or Obama asked about his birth certificate. Transparency also is important for law making, so citizens know what is go...

Mass Media, Echo Chambers, Theories

People's trust has gone in mass media has gone down in the last decade, according to an in class presentation, only 4 percent of people see an increase in trust in their mass media outlets. Mass media like CNN or FoxNews have their own agenda and own bias, and people know this. CNN i have head be referred to as "Clinton News Network" and people associate FoxNews as a conservative news outlets. Echo Chamber was mentioned in class as well. Echo chambers make it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction, which is super prevalent today. With disinformation, the act of deliberately lying to sway opinion and establish a bias, it is really hard to distinguish what is fact and what is not. Reliable sources are also a tricky subject. What is even reliable anymore? Are anonymous sources even reliable? Are there bias sources? In some articles, unnamed sources are uses...hmm...how reliable (said no one ever). Something i heard that made me actually nervous is the Illuso...

Bush and Degenres

Recently a photo has gone viral, a photo of former President George W. Bush and TV Host Ellen Degeneres enjoying a football game together. At first, people were very angry and upset that the two were together. They have very opposing views, how could they even stand to be in the same room? Ellen Degeneres and the former president have different political views, one being gay marriage. Ellen Degeneres is an openly gay women who is married, and Bush in 2004 supported the ban of gay marriage, but supports civic unions. Yet, Ellen claims that she is still friends with Bush, despite opposing views. I am sure that is not all that two disagree with. In a clip from the Ellen Show, Degeneres spoke about her friendship, stating, "just because I don't agree with someone on everything doesn't mean that I'm not going to be friends with them. When I say 'Be kind to one another,' I don't mean only the people that think the same way you do. I mean be kind to ...

Madeleine McCracken

Search This Blog