Opinion
Special Feature: Free Speech at Hamilton
By Cesar Renero ’17, Evelyn Torsher ’17, Leonard Collins ’15
February 27, 2015
Increased conversation will lead to better understanding, by Cesar Renero '17
Since its founding, Hamilton has distinguished itself with the emphasis it places on public discourse and critical thinking. Along with its focus on writing, this should make Hamilton a paragon of free speech, with well-prepared and well-spoken students that are able to investigate, scrutinize, analyze and make their voices heard. However, recent events on campus have left me feeling like Hamilton is perhaps straying away from this tradition of free and intelligent discourse.
Every time Hamilton, or one of its myriad student organizations, academic departments or affiliated institutions, organize a panel, I try my best to attend. This is because after every panel I have attended here at Hamilton, I find myself more informed about the subject matter, with a far greater understanding and comprehension of the nuances that are so often missing from other types of free speech. When we gather together in the form of a panel, a public debate or a public conversation, we are confronted with viewpoints we may not agree with—we may even find them despicable. But through the intellectual exchange that ensues, we learn and understand where other perspectives come from, and find ways in which we can draw concerted support to turn words into actions.
Reading an incendiary Facebook post or heated Yak does little to advance our understanding of the gamut of issues and perspectives the world faces. Talking politics over a beer at the pub, or discussing Hamilton administrative policy during dinner at McEwen is perfectly acceptable, but if that is the limit of our freedom of expression, we are in a sad, sorry state. Obviously, we have campus publications to rely on, and occasional panels, debates and public conversations are organized throughout the year, but when people steal others’ publications, or when we confront a truly momentous issue, we need to do more.
I would propose to the Hamilton community that we should strive to organize fortnightly debates, panels and public conversations. There is no limit to the number of topics we can discuss, and our appetite for understanding and exchanging ideas should also not falter. We do not have to all attend every single debate, nor should every panel or conversation be organized by the same student groups. However, it is imperative that we cement our dedication to free and public discourse, and ground a preference for intellectualism and understanding over apathy, lethargy and ignorance.
Political correctness must not hinder debate, by Evelyn Torsher '17
The issue of free speech has recently been under fire at Hamilton. It is the latest materialization of a number of political-correctness related scandals of the last three semesters. It is a shame that recent publications have hurt and offended people in our community, and the authors of those publications have been and should continue to be held accountable for their words. That being said, nothing I have read in the Enquiry of late, although inflammatory, should be classified as hate speech.
Freedom of speech is integral to education and growth; it is embedded in our nation’s constitution, our school’s policies and, lately, our email inboxes as well. I am disappointed that our campus’s quest for sensitivity has come to threaten such an important facet of our philosophy as Americans and Hamiltonians. In our community, we work to create an environment where people feel safe expressing their concerns. This involves fostering an attitude of respectful debate and accountability for our opinions. However, respect and political correctness are problematic when they hinder debate.
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “never let me fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.” We are Hamilton students; we are smart, open-minded, well-rounded citizens. If our opinions are so fragile that hearing what someone else has to say makes us feel so threatened as to silence their voice, the problem lies within us as a community, not our critics.
Beyond that, we as Hamilton students are individuals. We form opinions by drawing conclusions from our personal experiences. By suppressing the voices of any minority group on this campus we rob one another of the ability to form individual opinions, thus perpetuating the ignorant conformity we as liberal arts students loathe.
I hope that we can all take the events of late as a call to action. The only way for us to foster the intellectual debate and openness we strive for is to grow a thicker skin. Let us say what we really think; let us get offended. Next, let us talk about it and make a change.
Free speech is never free, but the price is worth paying, by Leonard Collins '15
As students in the United States, we imbibe certain values including the freedom of speech. Freedom to say what you want and when you want was a fundamental tenet of the Founding Fathers. In the modern age we have developed numerous media through which we can speak freely, but this free speech does have consequences that must be taken into account.
Hamilton College has a fair amount of people who are willing to speak their mind, but usually only within a specific context, among specific people. Some would probably say they feel their speech is suppressed by the unspoken rules that frame many of the conversations on this campus; the rules that say when it is appropriate to discuss race, gender-bias, ethnicity or social class, and when to say nothing. Furthermore, if one does talk about controversial issues on campus, they are faced with the blunt end of people’s opinions on Facebook, Twitter and Yik Yak. Most people on campus, including professors and administrators, will either refuse to speak openly about their opinions, or worse, be too afraid to even develop an opinion.
It is understandable why people have certain reservations about engaging with complete strangers on confrontational issues. After all, going to one of the best writing colleges in the country, we understand the power words have on each others’ lives. Especially over the course of these last two years, the lynchpin dynamic of our social atmosphere was finally revealed. The truth is, it is not that we do not have any opinions, but that some lack the courage to share their opinions for fear they will be put down. However, as Marianne Williamson once wrote, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.” In order to open up a dialogue on campus, we must give others permission to express their thoughts and perspectives without fear of being persecuted.
In order to facilitate open and well-formed dialogue we should educate people about decorum when speaking. Simple phrases, like “in my opinion” or “in my experience,” can prevent someone from lashing out at what they consider to be a generally held belief. Furthermore, we must reevaluate the unspoken rules normally held by society that say we must segregate our speech to certain places and among certain people. If this is a liberal arts college, then we should strive to design a space within which people are free to engage in dialogue.
Like many issues, this one will not be resolved overnight. It will require much thought and consideration in the coming years, but one thing that we cannot do is stop talking about it. Speaking freely is costly for some, but staying silent is costly for everyone.