Next month marks one year since Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while giving a speech at Utah Valley University. In the past year, a bronze statue of Kirk has been erected in Times Square, Congress designated his birthday as a National Day of Remembrance, and over 100,000 people attended his memorial at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Additionally, many U.S. states have passed versions of the Forming Open and Robust University Minds Act, which bans 'free speech zones' and prohibits viewpoint discrimination against student organizations.
Despite these developments, a recent survey by FIRE indicates that one in three American college students now express some tolerance for using violence to prevent a campus speaker from speaking. The survey included nearly 70,000 students from 257 institutions, with 166 schools receiving failing grades. A significant number of students reported that tactics such as shouting down speakers and blocking event entrances are acceptable.
The article discusses the challenges of maintaining free speech on campuses despite legal protections. It highlights a lack of understanding among many Americans regarding the constitutional framework surrounding free speech, with 45% believing that hate speech should not be protected by the First Amendment. The piece also notes that the decline in support for free speech is most pronounced among conservative students, who are traditionally seen as defenders of this right.
The author argues that while legal protections for free speech are necessary, they do not address the cultural understanding of why free expression is important. The article concludes that without a cultural shift, the acceptance of violence against speech will likely persist.