Colleges, universities and other establishments of higher education are meant to be places where the exchange of ideas are to be freely exercised without any hindrance. The “free speech” zone on the mall flies in the face of one of the fundamental ideas our country and its laws are based on.
Earlier this year, the Citrus College district was sued by one of its students over their free speech zone as reported by the LA Times. The suit, sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, argues that such a zone is “overly broad and a multi-step process for approving student group events” as reported by the LA Times. Pierce College has a similar process a person must go through to use its free speech zone.
Pierce College is no stranger to criticism and scandal. Earlier this month, the LACCD’s Board of Trustees meeting took place on campus at the Great Hall with many of the people in attendance having one opinion regarding the removal of the Farm Center. Although some of the people were allowed to talk about the Farm Center’s closing, the most overt forms of protest, such as signs, were quelled during the meeting. This form of censorship should outrage anyone who regards the first amendment highly.
There are many who say that the free speech zone is a way to allow solicitors to spread their business with little bother to the students who attend Pierce. But that argument holds little weight as solicitors are still able to freely pass out their pamphlets. Just walk through the marquee entrance on Winnetka and Victory.
If the campus, a school club or organization decides to hold an event featuring a controversial figure, topic or issue, that would mean any form of protest should take place within the free speech zone but we already have events where, for the most part, free speech is readily practiced and encouraged. Namely, the Day of Politics.
The Day of Politics is held at the Great Hall every semester where any and every form of issue, political or otherwise, is featured and ideas are freely shared. Many of those ideas come in the form of protest. As events like the Day of Politics happen, is the campus insinuating that there is some speech that is more free than others?
The first amendment to the constitution reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
How can we, as students, learn and grow as adults if we aren’t able to freely share ideas and opinions and openly debate them if we don’t agree with them? That is what a true place of higher education allows and as long as the campus has its free speech zone, Pierce College is not that.
