Conservative students are under fire at college campuses all over the country. There have been violent attacks on conservatives at rallies like the one in Berkeley, California, last month, where right-wing demonstrators, including students, were targeted by antifa (anti-fascist) members, who used pepper spray and other weapons to injure and intimidate them. While violence on conservatives is not a common occurrence everywhere, freedom of speech is certainly in jeopardy, and it is through events like the one in Berkeley that strike fear in students to express their beliefs.
Many colleges tend to promote and push liberal ideologies on their students, and Blackburn is no exception: Just recently an article was written in this very paper condemning conservatism, and stating that conservatives are not even worth talking to. There are posters all over this campus promoting the college’s inclusive community, which isn’t a bad thing. But the posters defeat their own purpose by taking a jab at Trump supporters, stating “Latinx students, you will find no walls here,” which either promotes illegal immigration or insinuates that all Latinx students are here illegally, which is very disrespectful to them. This “inclusive” poster does a poor job of including the values of individuals who might be conservative and is offensive to the Latinx community as well. The makers of the poster could’ve been inclusive without getting political.
Blackburn’s politically charged “inclusive” posters
While students at Blackburn may not be subject to the dangers that conservatives face on bigger campuses, the liberal atmosphere makes it hard for them to express their free speech rights. “Here in Carlinville I don’t really fear for my own personal safety,” said senior psychology Rob Wingerter. “If I attended a bigger institution I might. But even so, I fear for my social reputation. I don’t think that expressing these views is something that’s so extreme, but some people are making it out to be.”
Though freedom of speech cannot be taken away from any U.S. citizen, sharing conservative beliefs could damage a college student’s standing with their friends and peers (the previously mentioned article in The ‘Burnian states this too). It is sad that students are branded as neo-nazis and racists just for having conservative values, or for just supporting our nation’s president. The media has not helped break the stigmas about conservatives that many believe to be true. There are so many sources spreading fake news, attacking President Trump and conservatives alike, rather than reporting reality, and focusing on issues that really matter. “All these attacks on freedom of speech are happening and I hear about it nowhere else but Fox News,” said Wingerter.
It is evident that this college does little to help the free speech rights of its conservative students, and promotes an agenda that cultivates the hate and misunderstanding that many people have regarding conservatism. This article at the very least can be a voice for any conservative college student on this campus.