Throughout our history, free speech has been cherished in the United States of America. Thankfully, we have the First Amendment which mandates that “Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech.” It not only protects this right, but also the free press and other precious freedoms such as the right to exercise religious beliefs, assemble, and “petition the Government for the redress of grievances.”

Historically, American college campuses are places where open discussion and debate have been encouraged and welcomed. For generations, these campuses are where the nation’s young people have been allowed to express themselves and challenge authority.

In the 1960’s, the anti-Vietnam War movement found a home on college campuses throughout the country. Unfortunately, in recent years, there has been a movement to stifle free speech, especially the rights of conservatives to express themselves.

“Virginia Is For Lovers,” but you wouldn’t know it from this weekend’s events in C'ville where hate confronted our collective conscience again. President Donald Trump, meekly, condemned the violent clashes between the KKK, neo-Nazis, supremacists, and counter-protestors, as stronger expressions of outrage played out on television, cable, radio, and the Internet, but there’s more to it than his tepid response.