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Overwhelming majority of college students say shouting down a speaker is acceptable: survey
College Fix ^ | SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 | KATELYNN RICHARDSON

Posted on 09/24/2021 8:13:50 AM PDT by george76

Survey ranks the 10 best and worst schools for free speech in 2021, according to students

Sixty-six percent of college students think shouting down a speaker they disagree with is acceptable to shut down their talk, and another 23 percent believe violence can be used to cancel a speech, according to a wide-scale survey released this week.

The 2021 College Free Speech Rankings, a follow-up on the first survey in 2020, asked over 37,000 students at 159 top-ranked U.S. colleges and universities to share their views about free speech on campus.

Published by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, RealClearEducation and College Pulse, the results show freedom of expression on campus remains a pressing concern.

Not only do 66 percent of students say it is acceptable to shout down a speaker to prevent them from speaking on campus, that result is up four percentage points from last year.

Another key finding is that nearly one in four students say it’s acceptable to use violence to stop a campus speech — up 5 percent over last year’s survey — with some elite colleges bringing that figure to as high as one in three students accepting of such violence.

Underscoring these findings, more students are keeping their mouths’ shut, even during a year when most campus activities and instruction moved online.

Eighty percent of students reported that they self-censor viewpoints at least some of the time on campus, and another one-fifth of students reported that they do it quite often.

“Our survey suggests the problem of self-censorship grew even worse in this virtual classroom environment. Whether online or in person, many students say they are afraid to speak their minds or to voice an unpopular view,” RealClearEducation Editor Nathan Harden told The College Fix.

Student participants, surveyed between February 15 and May 30 of this year, were given questions about their ability to talk about difficult subjects, tolerance for conservative or liberal speakers, administrative support for free speech, responses to campus speakers, and comfort expressing ideas.

Based on the results, each school was assigned an overall speech climate score. These scores, along with individual school profiles and student comments, are listed in the 2021 College Free Speech Rankings database, which ranks the best and worst supporters of free speech among America’s largest colleges and universities.

For the second year in a row, DePauw University took the bottom spot on the list, with the lowest score of 50.8 out of 100.

Claremont McKenna College claimed the highest score, with a 72.27, pushing last year’s top school, University of Chicago, to second best.

In order, the top 10 schools of the 159 surveyed are: Claremont McKenna College, University of Chicago, University of New Hampshire, Emory University, Florida State University, Purdue University, University of Maryland, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Arizona, and College of William and Mary.

The bottom 10 campuses, starting with last place, are: DePauw University, Marquette University, Louisiana State University, Wake Forest University, Boston College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Bates College, Tulane University of Louisiana, Utah State University, and Colby College.

“The 2021 College Free Speech Rankings provide a powerful tool for parents and students who want to know whether their favorite colleges and universities value and protect the free exchange of ideas,” Harden told The Fix.

Students named racial inequity, abortion, gun control, George Floyd protests, and transgender issues as the top five most difficult subjects to have an “open and honest” conversation about on campus. Conservatives, on average, reported that they were much less comfortable expressing their opinions.

Some schools are still better about free speech than others, Harden noted, and students should pay attention.

“The good news is there are some schools that do a better job of nurturing an environment of healthy debate and open inquiry on campus. Those schools are rewarded with high scores in our national rankings,” Harden said.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: censorship; college; collegestudents; diversity; fire; freespeech; schools; selfcensorship; students
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1 posted on 09/24/2021 8:13:50 AM PDT by george76
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To: george76

but only Conservatives...


2 posted on 09/24/2021 8:15:16 AM PDT by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. P144:1)
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To: george76

Majority of these same students have a hrad enough time putting together a proper academic paragraph too so go figure.


3 posted on 09/24/2021 8:15:35 AM PDT by cranked
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To: george76

Kindergartners know how to take turns yet college students can’t let someone speak and wait their turn to respond.


4 posted on 09/24/2021 8:18:34 AM PDT by married21 (As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.)
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To: george76

Even if THEY are the ones shouted down?


5 posted on 09/24/2021 8:19:53 AM PDT by SaxxonWoods ( comment might be sarcasm, or not. It depends. Often I'm not sure either.)
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To: george76

The truly wise and educated will listen and evaluate what someone says.

Life is often hard for those who refuse to listen.


6 posted on 09/24/2021 8:21:43 AM PDT by RatRipper (The Biden Adm is leading an attack against US citizens . . . pure evil.)
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To: george76

Sixty-six percent of students think it’s okay to shout down speakers and ANOTHER 23 percent justify violence? Someone needs to edit these articles. I very much doubt the 23 percent approve of violence but don’t approve of shouting down a speaker. The 23 percent is part of the 69 percent. Sheesh. BTW, those are appalling numbers and speak to the need to tear down and reform education and “educationsts.”


7 posted on 09/24/2021 8:21:46 AM PDT by caseinpoint (Don't get thickly involved in thin things.)
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To: george76

With these so-called “progressives” advocating shouting down it will be followed by them advocating shooting down.

Indeed, there’s another thread hereabout where some Soros douchebag is drawing flack for mentioning shooting Republicans.


8 posted on 09/24/2021 8:23:07 AM PDT by Rurudyne (Standup Philosopher)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
Same as in muzzie countries? What a coincidence.

9 posted on 09/24/2021 8:23:50 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: george76

Overwealming majority of speakers say shooting down shouters is acceptable!


10 posted on 09/24/2021 8:27:11 AM PDT by The MAGA-Deplorian (Democrats are lawless because Republicans are ball-less!)
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To: george76

Wait until, someday, they themselves are shouted down. They don’t think that it’ll happen, because they are very myopic. However, Karma is and always has been a nasty bitch, so they will get theirs someday.


11 posted on 09/24/2021 8:27:19 AM PDT by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." A. E. van Vogt, “The Weapon Shops of Isher”)
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To: george76

12 posted on 09/24/2021 8:35:40 AM PDT by Sans-Culotte (11/3-11/4/2020 - The USA became a banana republic.)
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To: george76

That works both ways. Leftists can be shouted down too.


13 posted on 09/24/2021 8:41:00 AM PDT by EvilCapitalist (Pets are no substitute for children.)
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To: george76

Overwhelming majority of college students say shouting down a any speaker is acceptable: different opinions and facts are not permitted. Group think is all.


14 posted on 09/24/2021 8:41:59 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: george76

Of course they do, as they have been trained.


15 posted on 09/24/2021 8:48:46 AM PDT by Salman (It's not a "slippery slope" if it was part of the program all along. )
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To: george76

Watch diversity fly out the window.

More acceptable would be to merely walk away. Shouting on brings the speaker more attention.


16 posted on 09/24/2021 8:53:22 AM PDT by bgill (Which came first, the vax or the virus?)
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To: george76

They’ve been indoctrinated since kindergarten or before. This nation is now just beginning to reap that poison fruit.


17 posted on 09/24/2021 8:55:12 AM PDT by vpintheak (Live free, or die!)
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To: george76
In order, the top 10 schools of the 159 surveyed are:

I looked at the actual survey. Hillsdale College is third on the list, but the article censored this fact.

18 posted on 09/24/2021 9:22:47 AM PDT by T Ruth (Mohammedanism shall be destroyed.)
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To: george76

Militant females.... College is now the realm of leftist women, BLM Studies, Gender Studies, etc., and the degrees to which they aspire have no use beyond the school systems/government it’s self. There are two many lawyers and too many unemployable militants who are leftist maniacs’.


19 posted on 09/24/2021 9:39:17 AM PDT by Jumper
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To: george76

That is straight out of the NAZI playbook.


20 posted on 09/24/2021 9:50:49 AM PDT by Ge0ffrey
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