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Most American universities would earn an F- if they could be graded for “free speech friendliness,” according to the the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, or FIRE.
Every year, FIRE grades major universities on the speech climate on campus. Shockingly, 166 of the 257 schools surveyed got an F for their speech climate.
This is sadly non-partisan. According to FIRE, “students of every political persuasion show a deep unwillingness to encounter controversial ideas.”
“For the first time ever, a majority of students would prevent speakers from both the left and right who express controversial views, ranging from abortion to transgender issues, from stepping foot on campus.”
What are we doing here? Universities are supposed to be open marketplaces of ideas. Students should expect to have their worldview challenged!
“More students than ever think violence and chaos are acceptable alternatives to peaceful protest,” said FIRE Chief Research Advisor Sean Stevens. “This finding cuts across partisan lines. It is not a liberal or conservative problem — it’s an American problem. Students see speech that they oppose as threatening, and their overblown response contributes to a volatile political climate.”