There is always that one student in class, the one with so many words and nothing important to say. Whether their facts are wrong, their opinions directly conflict with your own or they just have annoying voices, these students are granted - by the Constitution - every right to open their mouths and speak.
As John Stuart Mill wrote in 1859, "If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind."
And this week, we have the opportunity to actively appreciate this right, which we take for granted on a regular basis.
The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation established this week as the inaugural National Freedom of Speech Week, and Ball State University is participating with several events to educate about our rights and encourage more outward displays of free speech on campus.
However, it's important to remember that we exercise our freedom of speech every day. We engage in free speech as we argue with our friends, speak for or against our government in class, create or observe works of art, read banned books, allow religious advocates to voice their opinions from our street corners and even print this newspaper.
We engage in free speech regularly, but so often we fail to appreciate all that we get from living in a society with this right.
During this designated week, we can bring our celebration of the First Amendment out into the open and discuss it actively.
Come next week, though, we must not forget the daily celebration. We must find ways to speak out more frequently; we must not forget that soapbox speeches can happen any day and public readings can occur on weeks not set aside to celebrate our freedoms. We must always be vocal about our opinions in an attempt to fight apathy.
At the very least, we must open our mouths in class along with those talkative students - because the First Amendment isn't just about being allowed to speak your mind, it's about actually doing it.
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