In 205, the Asian American Student Association at Brandeis University posted several signs outside an academic hall for their classmates to view, hoping to spread awareness for Asian racism. Many of the signs brandished controversial Asian microaggressions, such as Why cant people learn English when they come to this country?, and Arent you supposed to be good at math? While the display appeared to have a straightforward motive, for included in the project was a disclaimer that the students wished to foster a healthy dialogue about racism in the Brandeis community, a group of students interpreted the signs as microaggressions, and under Brandeis University speech codes that forbade Material that [was] explicitly . . . offensive, the Asian American Student Association had to take down their project. The association president then sent out an email to the entire student body apologizing for any triggering content that may have upset their classmates. Unfortunately, situations such as these are nothing uncommon on college campus
es all over America in recent years. Speech codes and verdicts based on emotional reasoning like that of Brandeis University students severely dictate authoritative actions, limiting the rights of students not only by restricting what they can and cannot say, but also what they can and cannot advocate for, specifically, politically, or socially. One would think college faculty aim to encourage civil discourse on an important issue to engage both sides of an argument, as well as cultivate critical thinking in students for their own benefit. However, previous occurrences suggest that they instead discourage, discredit, and even advise against certain viewpoints for reasons surrounding controversy and not pertaining to the politically correct agenda of a college campus. In order to promote American principles of democracy–a highly overlooked aspect of a valuable and successful education–college campuses must prioritize freedom of speech and social discussion not only for the benefits of the student, but for society as a whole.