Free Speech: A Tool for Destruction or Empowerment

Imagine a reality with no ramifications for your choice of words. As a student, that would allow you to use profanities, and none of the teachers would care. Of course, this is far from the reality of our current society. Although the First Amendment to the United States Constitution was created to protect freedom of speech, it has some limitations. These can include speech that falls into one of these categories, such as “incitement to imminent lawless action,” “fighting words,” and “true threats” (Iowa State University). Students have the right to free speech, which allows them to express their opinions, but in a learning environment, more speech may be limited to ensure the school runs smoothly. As expressed in the case of Tinker v. Des Moines, both the student and the school have rights regarding free speech on campus. This has allowed the current system of free speech on campus to work efficiently. With these rulings, disputes regarding free speech have been easily cleared up. Even though free speech on school campuses is already near-perfect, it should always consider students' constitutional rights and well-being as top priorities. 

Free speech on campus should protect the two core values of freedom and safety. During the monumental case of Tinker v. Des Moines, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the students. This ruling has allowed students to enjoy their First Amendment rights as long as it doesn’t materially and substantially interfere with the operation of the school (Oyez). Not only is Free Speech a right, but it has many benefits as well. It is said that “knowledge comes from challenging pre-existing thoughts” (Pierce). Students can only achieve this standard if they can use their freedom of speech in the learning environment. However, this freedom should not be abused. Although the case of Tinker v. Des Moines ruled in favor of the students, it also gave schools certain rights to ensure everyone on campus feels safe. If the speech has caused a substantial disruption to the learning environment, the school is within its rights to reprimand the students. This ensures everyone on campus can continue learning and have a successful time. Free speech on campus should be used to expand collaboration in an educational setting instead of being abused. Free speech on campus should always focus on freedom and safety as the most important areas.

From the time our founding fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, the right to free speech has been improved upon for a significant amount of time. In the case of Tinker v. Des Moines, litigation has been aimed at improving free speech on campus. Even more examples of these case laws include Counterman v. Colorado, Reed v. Town of Gilbert, and Texas v. Johnson, which were all efforts put in to make free speech fair. Throughout history, our society has overcome challenges regarding free speech. Every roadblock has been conquered and taken care of. Therefore, there is no reason to change something that society has worked so hard to achieve a perfect balance for everybody involved. A great example of our efforts can be seen in the protests at Rutgers University. The president of Rutgers University was always trying to consider everyone involved by taking into account the freedom of everyone involved. The protest never turned violent while respecting the core values of a learning environment (Nieto and Vasilogambros). This is a perfect example of the system he has in place. Both students and schools have rights, and this is the way it always should be.

Free speech on campus has always been a hotly debated topic. Since people have different points of view, everyone’s ideal situation for free speech on campus is different. One thing is for certain—schools need to protect the two core values of freedom and safety while dealing with free speech on campus. These core values have been protected by our society for decades, which can be seen by the number of case laws. Without these core values, free speech on campus would be nothing more than just a bunch of people and their words. Through monumental cases such as Tinker v. Des Moines, free speech has been protected for the better. Free speech has prevailed despite countless obstacles and should remain as is to ensure everyone is accounted for.

Works Cited

Iowa State University. “Frequently Asked Questions - Free Speech.” Free Speech, https://freespeech.iastate.edu/faq. Accessed 27 June 2024.

Nieto, Sophie, and Matt Vasilogambros. “Rutgers president takes heat in Congress over handling of Gaza encampments • New Jersey Monitor.” New Jersey Monitor, 24 May 2024,

https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/05/24/rutgers-president-takes-heat-in-congress-over-handling-of-gaza-encampments/. Accessed 5 July 2024.

Oyez. “Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District.” Oyez, https://www.oyez.org/cases/1968/21. Accessed 5 July 2024.

Pierce, Jessica. “A Melting Pot of Learning.” Model ELearning, 22 February 2022, https://modelelearning.com/2022/02/22/a-melting-pot-of-learning/. Accessed 5 July 2024.