In the face of adversity, the responsible use of freedom is a virtue—as well as a necessity.
America is a nation born from the idea of freedom. To properly use this blessing and avoid abusing it, we need the clarity of moral insight. Civil rights require civic responsibility. But Americans’ fear of losing the freedom to express themselves has caused them to forget that responsibility.
One of the great ironies of the past century has been the decline of the American university. These institutions were designed to stand for the pursuit of truth and civic enhancement.
Yet today, campus grounds are the place where free expression is most constantly challenged. Censorship is not only imposed by administrators. Students themselves are a source of censorship when as they choose to treat their political opponents with disdain.
Fear of the “other side” has fostered a toxic political tribalism.
Thomas Jefferson once wrote that “the price of freedom is eternal vigilance,” and Americans have taken the fight for their individual liberties seriously. But while it is true that freedom must be defended, freedom also loses its credibility in the eyes of opponents if it is abused.
American college students are no exception. In their own way, they are determined to prevent others from stifling their freedom. What they don’t realize is as they claw for their rights, they are shredding the very foundation those rights stand on.
When conservative students host a lecture or activism event, many remain on constant alert for demonstrators who may silence their speech. This caution is not without merit.
Countless conservative events have been shut down by dissenting voices who can become violent and physical in an attempt to shut down words they feel are “hateful.”
Both groups understand their rights to be at risk, and their fear of the opposing side chipping their freedom away has caused them to lash out in defense of what is theirs.
Students on the left have a different concern when it comes to rights. They often fight to protect the feelings of individuals who have historically been denied rights by society. It doesn’t matter whether they have reason to fear those individuals losing rights again. In the minds of progressive activists, they are defending the civil liberties of others.
Both groups understand their rights to be at risk, and their fear of the opposing side chipping their freedom away has caused them to lash out in defense of what is theirs.
The right, when silenced by the left, begins to yell louder. The more words they can say, the better, as that proves they have the right to say them. Those words, however, often turn into dangling red meat for their opposition. They holster the “own the libs” mentality, mocking liberals as snowflakes “triggered” at everything.
The left feels their existence and rights are threatened, so they protest, grinding away on the limits of “peaceful” assembly. And they justify in their minds that storming stages and super-soaking speakers is acceptable: They’re just defending their rights.
Shouting shameful things or forming a mob to silence your opponents sullies the intended purpose of the First Amendment. This amendment protects us from the government infringing on our rights, but the standard for exercising that right shouldn’t be merely what we can get away with legally.
We are so blessed to have the freedom to speak freely and organize ourselves to demonstrate as we wish without government-mandated muzzles. But what good is that protection if citizens are silencing each other’s speech or resorting to aggressive messaging?
When my campus activism chapter hosted Ben Shapiro in 2016, a group of protesters stormed the stage and silenced him for 20 minutes.
Those protesters succeeded in silencing our chapter members’ speech. Sure, they weren’t the government telling me to shut up, but they stole my voice.
Shouting shameful things or forming a mob to silence your opponents sullies the intended purpose of the First Amendment.
That being said, my retaliations for the rest of the semester were a poor reflection on my character. I resorted to crudely presenting my arguments, something I am not proud of.
I had a great gift—the freedom to speak my mind—and was squandering it by treating my enemies poorly. I ignored their humanity. Yes, they were as offensive and belligerent as me, but I helped fuel the fire.
Being able to engage with those we disagree with is important—we are a community of souls and should treat each other as such. The respect we show our foes reveals the respect we have for the Bill of Rights.
When we use our freedom for hostile purposes, we exploit the intention the Founders had for the First Amendment. Freedom requires responsible use, and the proper use of freedom optimizes its purpose.
Our standard for free expression should not be what we can get away with legally. If we continue down this path, language will continue to be associated with hatred, and assembly with mob rule.
When we use our freedom for hostile purposes, we exploit the intention the Founders had for the First Amendment.
I fear those connotations are what will dissolve the freedom of expression.
If either side truly wants to stop this endless cycle of shouting matches, cancelled events, and lawsuits, they are going to have to start gaining composure in difficult situations.
There are a plethora of different groups popping up on campuses around the country that focus on fostering kind, multi-partisan discussions between students.
While some are more successful than others, the recent creation of these groups shows there is an appetite among students to engage civilly with people of other opinions.
When we face true injustice, or people who seek to erode our rights, we should stand firm for those rights. But we must do it with respect to the other side, even if they are not respectful in return.
Americans have the gift and responsibility of liberty. We must not misuse it.
