According to the annual State of the First Amendment survey, 86 percent of Americans believe protecting free speech is more important than protection from offensive speech. Only 10 percent say protection from offensive speech is more important.
The results come in an era that’s seen plenty of campus protests over free speech and safe spaces. The issue drew so much attention that President Obama personally criticized students’ desire to be protected from opposing viewpoints. “I don’t agree that you, when you become students at colleges, have to be coddled and protected from different points of view,” he said in 2015.
Although the survey showed widespread respect for free speech, it also revealed a troubling lack of knowledge about the First Amendment. Thirty-nine percent of Americans could not name any of the five rights guaranteed by the First Amendment: freedom of the press, speech and religion, as well as the right to petition and right of assembly.
Half of Americans without a college degree couldn’t name any of the five protected rights.
About 75 percent of Americans say the First Amendment does not go too far in the rights it protects. Interestingly, the survey found that support for the First Amendment rises in the wake of terrorist attacks, such as Sept. 11, 2001 and the Boston Marathon Bombings.
The survey also showed more support for the free speech of college students (who are ostensibly adults) than for high school students. About 57 percent of Americans agreed that college students should be allowed to say whatever they want on campus, even when it offends others. Only 35 percent felt the same way about high school students.
The survey was conducted by the Newseum Institute in partnership with USA Today.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
