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Berkeley Students Speak Out About Free Speech - The New York Times

posted onSeptember 23, 2017
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Article snippet: The University of California, Berkeley, has been at the center of the debate over free speech taking place on campuses across the country in recent months. The faculty is divided about how to interpret the First Amendment. Many students, too, feel conflicted. We asked Berkeley students what free speech means to them, and about the mood on campus ahead of an event billed as “Free Speech Week.” Below is a selection of responses, which have been edited for length and clarity. Some students talked about whether freedom of expression should be limited or unfettered. I think that in order for speech to be free, all speech has to be free. Where restricting speech becomes problematic is that we can’t pick and choose what speech we allow. Imagine if we weren’t free to criticize the government at a time like this! — Sarah Gallo, 25, a law student from Palatine, Ill. Hate speech or speech that incites fear and violence against certain groups should not be allowed. It is illegal to shout fire in a closed room and this is no different. Some speakers are coming to “shout fire” in a university campus and ignite hatred toward student communities on campus. — Sabreen Abdelrahman, 17, a political science major from Santa Clara, Calif. I believe in court rulings on the matter of free speech, since the university is a public institution. Therefore such things as inciting direct violence should not be allowed, but things such as hate speech should be protected under First Amendment r... Link to the full article to read more

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