Free Speech Week

Free Speech week is an annual non partisan national event celebrating the value of freedom of speech. Rebekah Fox, a professor in the communications department at Texas State is the vice president of the Free Speech division of the Southern States Communication division. Her work ties into the free speech week event. Professor Fox describes free speech week and the meaning behind this national event.

“It’s a week that’s been established originally by the media institute to celebrate free speech and to spread awareness about free speech and to recognize free speech is an issue that affects individuals, groups, families, communities, organizations, and everybody in between. They have several partners. The media institute began the program but they have also gain partners over the years such as the American bar association, MPR, the Cato institute, gamers for free speech, the motion picture association of America, professional journalist, and nation communication association is a partner also with Lambda Pi Delta.”
-Rebekah Fox

Free Speech week is an event that all Americans can celebrate. Professor Fox also examines why free speech week is important for everyone.

“I think that often we don’t think about our rights, and don’t reflect on them and don’t honor them as our own rights. Focusing on them for a specific week brings attention to the fact that these are the kinds of rights we have and we need to exercise them in order to secure them. So, if people take notice we aren’t exercising these rights, then why should we have them. Its part of our duty as an American citizen to be informed and participate as good citizens with good orators, from a communication perspective were interested in how people recognize that expression is important to them as an individual. We need to express ourselves, that’s how we find clarity, connect to other and those kinds of things. From a legal perspective it’s about securing those rights.”

Professor Fox plans to have her students get involved in free speech week by having her students talk about free speech rights and having them research  and discuss the topic of internet filters. Also Fox has her students exercise their free speech rights. Fox believes there is more that can be done around campus if students get involved and learn about the issues going on not just on a state level but on a national perspective as well. She hopes that in the future Texas State can take part in free speech events and spread the word of free speech week. If you want to learn more about free speech week or want to see what you can do as an individual visit freespeechweek.org

Lorenzo Almanza, KTSW News