How Do College Speech Codes Originate?

George Leef

In today's Pope Center Clarion Call, George Mason University law professor Todd Zywicki writes about his experience in trying to get rid of his school's vague speech code. He was surprised to find that the code is the work of mid-level bureaucrats in the "University Life" office – people who don't have academic appointments and evidently don't appreciate the importance of free-wheeling debate and discussion in the quest for truth. Instead, their interest is in having a "kumbaya" campus with as little speech that could possibly offend anyone as possible. To them, vague code provisions are good because they give the bureaucrats the discretion to punish when they please.

Image: Common Dreams

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