America's commitment to free speech, that is the freedom to speak in public without the threat of government force, was one of the first freedoms this country committed to. Why did our founders think it was important?
We have to talk about that because the freedom to speak without fear or threat of force is being challenged. It's not universally valued, even by Americans, anymore. Now there are pockets of society where force is wielded to coerce what you may say.
But free speech is still in the constitution. Its defenders are very diverse. Here's a quote from Camille Paglia who has taught on the college level for four decades:
"As tuition costs rose stratospherically over the past quarter century, American colleges and universities shifted into a consumerist mode . . they don’t want to upset the paying customers! But the entire college experience should be based on confronting new and disruptive ideas. . .The ultimate values at any university should be free thought and free speech."
from Carpe Diem
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