When the student sitting beside you stands up and declares that anyone who disagrees with their viewpoint is an illiterate, uneducated, mentally disabled conspiracy theorist, would you feel comfortable raising your hand to disagree? What if you just saw someone shot and killed on a college campus like yours, for sharing viewpoints like yours?
Most people would stay silent. I did too.
The increase in political violence and the acceptance of violence as a form of suppression continue to encourage students to censor themselves. This cycle undermines the community of debate, public discourse, and civility that are essential cornerstones for developing future leaders in our democracy…