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  • Essay / Hate speech should not be tolerated on school campuses

    College is a place of learning, a place where knowledge is questioned and bank accounts are strained. It is a place where many different people, from all walks of life, come together for a common goal, higher education. Universities must ensure that the campus is a safe and stable environment for all students and facilities. Limiting hate speech on campus is necessary to prevent hatred and violence. There are many incidents where this hatred has increased due to campus diversity and the spread of social media. For example, fires set by students at UC Berkeley, online death threats against African-American students on the Penn campus, racial slurs and verbal attacks at the University of Missouri (Ben- Porath 14). Although limiting free speech on campus may censor ideas, restrictions on free speech should be implemented to prevent discrimination and hatred. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay To learn, students have the freedom to ask questions, inquire, and discuss various topics. The university also has the right for all students to have a safe space to further their knowledge. There are many good reasons to limit speech on campus. It has been used to intimidate and harass others, especially online, and is usually aimed at ethnic groups. Hate speech has been used to incite people to commit violence. Tynes et al (2013) suggest that racism on the Internet manifests itself through microaggressions due to the intention to hurt and harm certain individuals or populations. Ethnic students routinely encounter bias, racism, and hatred in online settings. Hate is on the rise in the United States and it is present in our universities. Herbert describes a hate speech incident at the University of Texas at Austin. A group of students printed and posted flyers expressing an anti-Muslim and anti-immigration context. The same group took to Twitter to recruit like-minded students and created a hashtag, #MakeAmericaWhiteAgain. Herbert also explains the reaction of the students and professors at the University: many were outraged, shocked but many were afraid. The university quickly created the “hate and prejudice policy.” The purpose of the policy was to prohibit discrimination and hatred on campus. Universities should restrict free speech to prevent hatred and harm to others. The incident in Austin is just one of many examples of hate speech on campus. According to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, “48% of students believe the First Amendment should not protect hate speech” (FIRE par. 2). Universities should create a safe space to ensure that every student has an equal right to education. Limiting free speech is necessary to prevent bigotry and hatred. Universities should regulate free speech on campus, not to curb democracy, but because some speech can harm others based on their identity. There are many examples of hatred on campus. Hancock describes an incident where the president of the undergraduate student government was harassed. She was the first Indian-American to win such a position at the University of.