Armed with hammers, nails, and spray paint, Carnegie Mellon students erect a mock shantytown on campus out of scraps of wood, cardboard, and tarp. The G-20 Summit is approaching, and these protesters want to draw attention to what they believe is neglect by government leaders to address the needs of the world's poor. Not far away, another student group chants, "All is well" at the shantytown protesters. Both protests coexist, equally protected under campus policy.
Just another day of free speech on an American college campus. Not necessarily, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. FIRE, which surveys policies and practices of institutions of higher education regarding their commitment to free speech, recently recognized Carnegie Mellon as one of only 13 schools nationwide deserving of its highest ranking-a "green light" designation.
FIRE judged free speech on campuses by evaluating freedom of the press, academic freedoms, any censorship of opposing viewpoints, and free speech campus-wide versus the creation of free-speech zones (free speech, according to FIRE, shouldn't be limited to zones only). As for schools that didn't receive the designation, FIRE President Greg Lukianoff says, "Institutions that should actually be making us deeper thinkers and more comfortable with what it means to live in a democratic, free society are actually training generations to destroy opinions they dislike."
Although protecting freedom can create, at times, a chaotic environment, as was the case on campus with the G-20 protests, Will Creeley, FIRE's director of legal and public advocacy, says, "Carnegie Mellon should be commended for its sterling commitment to freedom of expression."
-Kevin O'Connell
