Campus Censorship
Censorship is controlling of material that can be distributed or openly discussed by a certain group of people. The person or agency that determines what material will be censored and implements it is known as a controlling body. The controlling body can be the government for the general public, school administration for schools, or even entertainment companies for their audience. Censorship in colleges has been in existence for a while. Most colleges have their specific control on material that students can either access online or openly discuss. Although some college administrations are too strict with material and may censor material that could raise question of whether they are threatening the students’ freedom of speech, I believe censorship has mostly stayed within its limits and is an effective way to keep a large diverse group such as in colleges in harmony. Censorship in campuses helps as it protects minority groups from harassment and trains students to live within limits in preparation for the future.
To start with, censorship in campuses restores lost confidence for minorities that have faced harassment in the past and protects them. Minority groups are mainly the recipients of hate speech or hostility. By censoring material that can be openly discussed, campus administrations ensure that students do not harass those considered minorities. Material restricted can be material that is aimed at a group and could cause hatred. Hatred between student groups maybe a recipe for riots that could demean the school system and lead to a larger national crisis.
In addition to minority protection, censorship trains students that they need to live, speak, or act within set limits. Censorship limits what students can openly discuss and trains them for future employment as well as leadership which often limit the extent to which one can openly discuss an issue. As much as campus students are at a point where they should freely express their opinions, they will be leaders and employees that need to work under set rules and codes of conduct that may restrict their speech or acts.
In conclusion, censorship is important, not solely for the listed factors, but also for the fact that lack of censorship will be a crisis to campuses as well as a nation. Uncensored campuses can lead to open discrimination, sexual harassments, and attacks on students because of their opinions.
