Majority of Americans Agree Colleges Aren’t Teaching Value of Free Speech

We have seen hundreds of examples in recent years of free speech being trampled on college campuses. It’s no wonder most people feel this way.The College Fix reports:

Report: Majority of Americans say colleges aren’t properly teaching ‘the value of free speech’When it comes to free speech, a majority of Americans think our country’s colleges are blowing it.That’s a takeaway from the Cato Institute’s new report, “The State of Free Speech and Tolerance in America.” The libertarian think tank’s report gives a broad look at attitudes toward free speech in America, and includes polling on how Americans perceive the state of free speech on college campuses.The findings show that many Americans are disappointed with how higher education is handling the issue.From the report:

Two-thirds (66%) of Americans say colleges and universities aren’t doing enough to teach young Americans today about the value of free speech. When asked which is more important, 65% say colleges should “expose students to all types of viewpoints, even if they are offensive or biased against certain groups.” About a third (34%) say colleges should “prohibit offensive speech that is biased against certain groups.”

Regarding the trend of college students shutting down controversial speakers, 76 percent said that’s “part of a ‘broader pattern’ of how college students deal with offensive ideas.” Additionally, 65 percent of respondents said students who participate in such protests should be punished.

Tags: College Insurrection, Free Speech

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