It sounds silly saying Free Speech Plaza limits free speech, but take a minute to ponder it.
Up until recently, students at LSU had a mere alley in which they were allowed to speak freely.
But after a recent lawsuit filed against the University, LSU clarified its policy, saying that students always had the right to pass out literature or voice their opinions anywhere on campus.
A superb idea, I tell you.
This allows LSU’s campus to become a much-needed forum where students can freely share ideas, something America lacks as a whole.
So what if an irate student or some random dude, perhaps Brother Jed, is yelling as spit sprays the crowd that “You will all rot in hell, Sodomites!” and hurts your delicate feelings?
Get your keister up and walk away.
We share this campus and we take the risk of being told something or seeing something that could hurt our feelings as soon as we step out our doors.
We attend a public university supported by state tax payers.
And we have the right to freedom of speech as long as it doesn’t violate the limitations set by the Supreme Court.
Neither Spectrum nor Brother Jed should be stopped from voicing their opinion whether students agree with it or not.
If you need a quiet place to get away from the yelling and opinions, return to your private residence.
As we all learned in that miserable 8th grade civics class, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution grants us, American citizens, the freedom of religion, press and, most importantly, speech.
What we may not have learned is that the Supreme Court much like LSU, has indeed limited our freedom of speech.
If you would like to say something that contains obscenity, fighting words, libel or slander, creates a clear and present danger or interferes with legitimate social or government interests dependent of the time, place and manner, you would be breaking the law.
It is upsetting that our fundamental right to freedom of speech, which promotes peaceful protests, change and progression, is so intensely limited.
The Supreme Court should reread the First Amendment and, like LSU, begin to reduce the limitations set on the freedom of speech.
The positive possible outcomes of free speech are limitless.
Thanks to free speech and a few brave students, LSU abolished women’s clothing regulations in 1969, obligatory ROTC training and revised tuition increases in 1989 from $95 to $48.
Free Speech is a great and powerful right that we cannot start to take for granted.
FIRE, (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education) a collective list that ranks universities that hold the First Amendment above political correctness, was topped by Southern universities. LSU did not even rank on the list and received a red rating meaning that the University clearly and substantially restricts freedom of speech.
Josh Bacon, director of the Office of Judicial Affairs and Restorative Justice at James Madison University, which listed first on FIRE said, “Freedom of speech is essential to advanced learning, research, change, and ultimately the search for truth,” in a statement to FoxNews.com.
LSU needs to realize the importance of this statement and should strive to be on the top of the FIRE list.
We should be thankful to obtain the right to free speech and even more thankful that we have an administration that is going to allow us to have a Free Speech Campus rather than just a plaza.
Justin Blanchard is a 19-year-old international studies sophomore from Harahan, La.