Lawmakers and free speech advocates debated during a Congressional hearing Wednesday whether America’s colleges and universities are doing enough to safeguard free speech on campus, actively seeking to squelch it, or selectively doing a little bit of both.
Rep. Burgess Owens, a Republican from Utah, cited statistics that show 59% of college students self-censor around their peers; 71% believe it’s OK to “shout down” speakers and 34% believe violence is justifiable to stop a speech.
“We are creating a culture that accepts fear, bullying and cowardice as a culture — versus a bold confidence and debate of ideas,” Owens said at an April 29 hearing held by the House Committee on Education and the Workforce regarding free speech on campus.
Rep. Alma Adams, a Democrat from North Carolina, said across thousands of institutions of higher education, “only a small number” of campus incidents have involved speakers being disinvited or having their speeches disrupted.
“That is not a systemic problem warranting congressional intervention,” Adams said.
She accused opponents of diversity, equity, and inclusion of “inconsistency” as they seek to restrict what can be taught on campus, but at the same time complain about their own free speech being violated.
“If the concern is truly about viewpoint diversity, then we should protect all viewpoints, not just those that align with a particular political agenda,” Adams said.
