Free Speech and Respect on Campus

(Image from University of Arizona)https://wildcat.arizona.edu/147107/news/some-students-community-members-outraged-over-graphic-anti-abortion-display-at-the-university-of-arizona/

Free speech is one of the most important rights we have, and I fully support people’s ability to share their beliefs openly. Sometimes, though, people take this freedom and run with it in ways that feel like they’re going a bit too far just to get their message across. On my campus, at EMU, groups sometimes stand outside Pray-Harrold holding graphic images of fetuses and making very bold statements about abortion. While they have the liberty to express their views, I don’t think this method is the right approach.

The problem is not that they are speaking, but how they are choosing to do it. Graphic images and confrontational remarks rarely spark real dialogue; instead, they shut people down. It feels less like they want to have a conversation and more like they want to shock or shame. For many students, especially young college women, who are clearly the group being targeted, this creates an unwelcoming environment rather than a space for discussion.

Free speech should not just be about the freedom to talk, but also about the responsibility to communicate in ways that are constructive. If the goal is to persuade others or share a message, then the approach matters. Respect, empathy, and understanding go a lot further than intimidation. Using free speech to alienate people only widens the divide, while using it to listen and engage can actually open the door to meaningful change.