Another Student Is Censored! Cait Christenson Not Allowed to Talk about Equity and Reasoned Discourse

Bill of Rights, National Archives

Wisconsin's Tomahawk High School student Cait Christenson, who was one of six (!) female valedictorians, wanted to give a speech in which she praised equitable treatment, listening to other people's perspectives, and dealing with the nation's problems courteously and rationally. Protesting school shootings, she said that the nation needed to put a stop to bullying. For some reason, the school considered all of this to be too controversial. She declined to water the speech down, and instead published the speech in Wisconsin newspapers. This was the second well-publicized case this spring of a student being censored.

Let's look at a few of Christenson's more important statements:

1. She complained that slave children were treated poorly in a previous century:  "The reconstruction amendments were only the beginning of a revolution towards equal rights."

2. She expressed gratitude for women's rights, noted that all of the school's valedictorians were women, and complained about the "glass ceiling."

3. She mentioned "heartbreaking stories in the news of school shootings that have left innocent students and teachers with their life in someone else's hands." She said that the nation needed to confront bullying, but said nothing about gun control, which I thought would be the only comment that might have caused controversy.

4. She mentioned without discussion "The civil rights movement to Black Lives Matter, Women's Suffrage to #metoo, the Columbine Effect to NeverAgain."

5. She urged her audience not to avoid problems, not to remain ignorant, not to encourage stereotypes and not to express slurs against one another, but to "put yourself in their shoes before passing judgment, incriminating, and disrespecting others. It's the golden rule we've been hearing since kindergarten." She suggested that people should "treat everyone with kindness and stand up to the people who need it the most." She expressed hope that her audience would express "what you believe in." She advocated "positivity, acceptance and equity."

I read over the readers' comments about her published speech text. Most of the negative comments said that she was a liberal and that people should not be exposed to her views. I have two reactions: (1) only a few years ago, a conservative Republican could have given a very similar speech without fear of controversy or contradiction. That her views are now considered, by some, to be radical signifies that something very strange and disturbing has occurred in American culture. (2) One of the main reasons that we give speeches is to talk about controversies. Even if people do think that her speech was controversial, that is no reason to censor it. She expressed herself courteously, rationally, and persuasively. It is a sad situation when many people, including teachers who are charged with educating our youth, try to hide from important but controversial questions.

But, now, really! Is saying that American slavery was wrong now so controversial that we can't say it in school? Is it wrong for student who is one of six female valedictorians to say that women should have equal opportunities? Are such views so controversial that students' tender ears need to be sheltered from them?

Also, since conservatives routinely complain (and rightly so) that they are not always welcome on college campuses, it is appalling that schools are now aggressively censoring opinions that seem, at most, only moderately liberal.

There is a reason for the First Amendment, and that reason is to ensure that people can express their opinions. In previous blog posts, I have defended the free speech rights of conservative firebrand  Milo Yiannopoulos and libertarian scholar Charles Murray. I've also noted that, while they often complain about their own free speech rights being violated, conservatives seem to be eager to suppress free speech by liberals. This is all outrageous. We need to hear one another, and shouting down people because they disagree with someone's pre-conceived views is profoundly un-American. This needs to stop.

Schools that suppress reasoned, courteous expression of opinions miss the point of citizenship. They are conducting the opposite of education.