University of Georgia No Longer Punishing Free Speech

“Free speech zones” are now gone at the University of Georgia.

Previously, free speech was limited to small areas on campus. These sectioned off areas comprised less than 1% of the entire campus, and students who wanted to table or hold events would have to request permission at least 48 hours in advance to use them.

The revised Freedom of Expression policy requires that students reserve space and notify the campus police or dean of students if spontaneous events become larger than 10 people. The free speech zones, however, do not exist anymore.

The new policy was created as a result of a lawsuit filed by Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of Young Americans for Liberty, a national student organization. YAL was told to disband their demonstration in 2011 when the group set up a tabling event displaying the ever-ticking national debt clock. Since the creation of the new policy, the lawsuit has been withdrawn.

Campus Reform quoted  ADF Legal Counsel Travis Barham: “Universities cannot function as a marketplace of ideas if free speech is limited to less than one percent of campus,” he said. “We commend the University of Georgia for understanding this and revising its speech policy so that students can speak more freely throughout campus without fear of punishment.”

To enact a policy restricting free speech, there had to be a sizeable cultural support from the campus community at the University of Georgia. Since when are we fighting to restrict, and not expand our Constitutional rights? A terrifying thought, indeed.

It’s a relief to see that such an outrageous policy no longer persists in a place created to foster the exchange of information and ideas. However, even if free speech is permitted, it likely will continually be resisted on liberal campuses such as the University of Georgia, as well as here at Cornell.

The Review is dedicated to identifying and resisting such idiotic policies. You should be, too.