A lack of diverse political discussion on college campuses does more harm than help to developing students.
College is a place for exploring new ideas and opening your mind to concepts you’ve never heard of before; not cowering in fear and retreating at the sight of chalk writings found on your campus sidewalk.
What has the environment on college campuses become if students are feeling threatened and unsafe because of someone writing a political candidates name in chalk on a sidewalk?
A history of shutting down political discussion, particularly from the right, has been emerging across college campuses and can have a detrimental effect on student’s education.
Just recently, when conservative commentator Ben Shapiro came to speak at California State University, Los Angeles, students had to literally sneak into the event due to organizations such as Black Lives Matter and the Black Student Union protesting and obstructing the events entrance.
Rather than shutting down speech that is contrary to your beliefs, students should engage on the subject. Students have the opportunity on college campuses to engage in ideas unlike at any other time in their lives.
Instead of suppressing someone else’s beliefs by demanding them silenced, challenge your opposition to a debate, peacefully protest an event, or hold your own counter event to share your side of the discussion.
Shutting down others speech does not make your opinion more valid or make you look mightier. It only makes you appear as if you don’t understand the concept of the 1st amendment and are too immature to have a conversation with your opposition.
A lack of a variety of opinion on college campuses coupled with the coddled upbringing of many students creates the snowflakes we hear about today: students who are unable to cope with the thought that there are opinions other than their own and that they are not always right.
Students need to be exposed to a spectrum of different thoughts to prepare themselves for the real world, where no one will hold your hand and tell you it will be okay when you see something that you find triggering.
When students engage in conversations about opposing positions, the element of “them versus us” goes away, and we begin to learn that the opposition isn’t evil but they just have a differing opinion.
And having a different opinion should be encourage and engaged, not stifled.
