College is supposed to be a place of new experiences and growth. It is supposed to be a place filled with diversity—diversity of study, of backgrounds, of expression, of thought, and more.
College should be a time to respectfully challenge and contrast one’s beliefs and viewpoints. After all, we can learn and grow from each other as we are exposed to new ideas or different angles. What better time to do so than when we are in a season of life specifically dedicated to increasing in knowledge?
However, I fear that the freedom of thought which we’ve touted for so long is vanishing from our campuses. Here’s why.
The Movement toward “Inclusion”
In the name of progress and, I believe, a sincere hope to make the world a better place, many institutions have begun creating a campus culture of inclusion.
Doesn’t it sound great to have a place where students refrain from negative or harsh words about one another? Imagine a school where students affirm each other’s decisions instead of questioning the logic or wisdom of individual choices. Shouldn’t institutional leadership take measures to shut down offensive and hurtful speech, especially when that speech seems to target select groups of individuals?
It sounds great. It sounds like progress. This is the new inclusion.
The Effect of Inclusion
However positive this inclusion may seem, I propose that it is dangerously stifling.
When students are shunned for expressing an alternative viewpoint, you can guess that few will be willing to speak up against the prevailing mindset.
When leadership punishes students for speech that offends someone, you can see why students are hesitant to say anything that may be remotely uncomfortable to another person—in classroom discussions or otherwise.
When the majority at an institution has decided what is “right” speech, you can see why students prefer to stay silent rather than make waves and potentially risk scholarships or even the ability to study at their school.
In short, when institutions make their policies narrower than First Amendment rights, they have the audacity to imply that they are the ultimate authority on right and wrong, and no one should challenge their viewpoint.
Inclusion has the chilling effect of excluding viewpoints that are deemed unpopular or erroneous.
My Experience
As both a thinking individual and a Christian, I have a myriad of viewpoints which I would enjoy discussing with others so as to sharpen what I believe and learn about alternative opinions. I have thoughts on politics, religious freedom, immigration, marriage and homosexuality, scientific theories and developments, cultural trends, and more. I would love for college to be a place where I can freely (and, might I add, respectfully) engage in conversations about these issues without worrying about repercussions.
However, every time I consider expressing an opinion that is different from the prevailing mindset on campus, I pause. Is it worth the potential reactions? Would leadership come after me if my statement made someone uncomfortable or unintentionally offended them? Is this issue really the hill on which I'm ready to die?
In my experience, "inclusion" has the unintended consequence of creating a false sense of unity while stifling contrasting viewpoints. For so many of us who are simply trying to learn, study, and get our degrees, the cost of chiming into a conversation just isn't worth it.
Cost vs. Benefit
Throughout history, courts and leaders have fought for the right to challenge ideas, even far beyond the point of comfort. We believe, as Americans, that no one has the authority to censor ideas.
As institutions of higher learning, you have chosen to censor ideas. You have chosen to tell students that their ideas are so offensive that they can be punished or even expelled. You have chosen to intimidate and silence so that your campuses look neat and polished.
But I challenge you: is the temporary comfort of censorship worth the impact of a generation that cannot handle dissenting viewpoints and intellectual opposition?
You are making that decision every day.
