My Facebook has been riddled with daily updates of what my friends and family are thankful for in preparation for Thanksgiving. Sometimes its sweet, other times its as if theyre struggling to come up with something to be publicly grateful for. Regardless, its just another example of the freedom of speech that we, as a nation, adhere to.

Working for a student newspaper has opened my eyes to what freedom of speech really means. At times, Ive questioned what philosophical explanation I agree with, but ultimately, I am a freedom of speech purist.

The Wall Street Journal recently interviewed Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. He spoke against the censorship and speech oppression prevalent on college campuses.

It made me thankful to be part of an organization that at its core is against censorship of speech. As an independent entity with the final editorial decisions made by a student, The Exponent exhibits freedom of speech every day.

There are many who want the freedom of speech that doesnt offend certain sects. I, however, believe that freedom of speech applies to all forms, offensive or not.

Lukianoff says in the interview, In every genuinely diverse community Ive ever lived in, freedom of speech had to be the rule ... I find it deeply ironic that on college campuses diversity is used as an argument against unbridled freedom of speech.

I am thankful for those such as Lukianoff who fight to stop encroachments on the freedom of speech and for institutions such as The Exponent that allow for student voices to be heard.

Kirsten Gibson is a junior in the College of Liberal Arts and can be reached at editor@purdueexponent.org.

See the original post:

Freedom of speech forgotten on college campuses