Free speech has been a hot topic on campus lately.

Colorado Mesa University (CMU) has always allowed the public to speak and promote their ideas with little to no restriction. As long as there are no students or staff in danger, the First Amendment right to speak freely has been upheld.

On Sept. 16, President John Marshall emailed a statement addressing the recent controversy on campus. A member of the public attracted students when he started to preach outside of Dominguez Hall. This is not unusual.

“The right to free speech is what allows us to be individuals. He was just being himself. I think his message was received poorly because of all the people heckling him,” freshman mechanical engineering major Colin McArthur said.

Many students brought flags to the gathering, ranging from Pride flags to flags featuring pentagrams. These actions are also protected by the right to free speech. The debates drew a crowd that began a yelling match. The public speaker declined to comment.

“I want to be clear that our campus is a public place where free speech must be fiercely protected.  As many scholars have noted over the years, protecting free speech can be messy.  To be sure, protecting the rights of people to utter objectionable and offensive things can be tough – but it’s vital in our constitutional republic,” Marshall wrote in his address to the situation.

Multiple incidents like this have occurred over the years. When violence or harm has been incited, the university’s security and local police will step in and remove antagonizers when needed.