Death of Charlie Kirk Sparks Debates Over the Extent of Free Speech
Written by Leanna Sheffield, Staff Writer
Censorship is defined as the suppression of free speech or communication. In today’s world that is more often than not through our mass media. Although it is not a new issue, more recently it has become more prevalent in our society.
In the 2024- 2025 school year alone, over 6,800 books were banned in public and school libraries. Most of these bans were because of sexual content, offensive language, religion, LGBTQ+ content, violence and racism, and content deemed inappropriate for certain ages.
We are also seeing more examples of censorship in other forms of media, such as television. Jimmy Kimmel’s long running late night talk show was pulled from the air for comments over Charlie Kirk’s death. The show was later put back on air after much backlash from the public. Mass communications professor William Schulte said “Overall, the current administration is much more sensitive to criticism and satire. In the past, presidents would let comedy at their expense roll off their backs. It would be beneath them to concern themselves with late-night television.”
Additionally, Many local universities have also suffered consequences as the result of social media posts or statements over the activists death. Two professors at Clemson University were removed from teaching duties and one was terminated. Several high school teachers in South Carolina were also terminated following comments made online about the incident. This raises concerns about free speech and the power influences of our government. It also raises questions about the roles free speech plays around censorship, especially with the use of social media in today’s world.
Over 400 universities in the US have been forced to eliminate classes that promote DEI subjects, such as feminism, LGBTQ+, cultural, and race history classes. These schools have been threatened with the loss of funding and accreditation by the federal government. Many students feel that these changes will impact their education and connections with other students. Professor Michael Lipscomb said, “I’ve taught classes that people on the right might be suspicious of, like feminist political theory and African American political thought, but I’ve also taught classes that promote conservative political views. I think that’s another indicator of our department’s efforts to be inclusive of all viewpoints.”
These changes also reflect in the classrooms at Winthrop. “It has made me a lot more careful about how I talk about things that respect different students’ different opinions,” Lipscomb said. “I try to make my classes a balanced place where people will feel safe and recognized and their ideas are taken seriously. Students do pick up on efforts to create a space where everyone’s ideas are welcome.”
“When I teach, I try to do so from truth and objective reality,” Schulte said. “As of now, in my orbit, the government has not impeded this function. My classroom remains a safe space for students.”