Last week millions forgot to be thankful for something that is uniquely American. That is the freedom of speech. The freedom to express your opinion is a right that you should fiercely defend.
On campuses around the country, it is becoming the new normal for freedom of speech to be violated. The reason given for this is that some speech is offensive or controversial.
However, free speech is supposed to protect opinions that others would dislike. I do not get angry when people talk about roads or food, but some people might. Those things that might offend me do not offend you, and vis versa.
Where do we draw the line, should we censor everyone? There is no excuse for silencing a single person’s voice.
We must protect the expression of all, even the radicals and bigots, if we want to live in a free society.
You should be just as free to speak your mind as anyone else, even if your ideas or opinions are terrible. Punishing the opinion of anyone endangers the opinions of everyone, because those who you were happy to silence today may be able to silence you tomorrow.
Freedom of speech is important for us all. It is not just the reason I can write this eloquent piece for you to read.
It is a guarantee that your freedom will not be silently taken away from you, and a guarantee that you will hear every side of the issues.
Happily, Ole Miss has a wonderful culture of free expression and it is highly rated by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. We should work to keep it a place of open minds and be a positive example for the rest of the nation.
Morgan Dignowity is a sophomore public policy leadership major from Olive Branch.
