By Bill Johnson
Youngstown State University President
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Freedom of speech has always demanded courage, and courage is the one virtue universities cannot delegate. When free speech becomes fatal speech – as it did recently with the assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus – Americans demand, and deserve, a change.
As president of Youngstown State University, I feel compelled to help make that change, and I believe our nation’s university presidents can lead the way.
The facts already announced by authorities are enough to deduce that the killer of Charlie Kirk opposed the viewpoints he (civilly and respectfully) espoused in his campus forums. So that future would-be assassins won’t think they can stop ideas with a bullet, we must all agree to amplify and advance Mr. Kirk’s central message: when we stop talking and refuse to listen, violence naturally ensues.
The violence that took Charlie Kirk’s life was tragic – the sort of thing that keeps college presidents awake at night. But no assassin’s bullet can kill the free exchange of ideas unless we allow it.
Higher education leaders must not permit this violence to dissuade certain speakers out of fear their words may offend. If we cannot defend the right to speak, we cannot claim the right to teach.
Academia began as an effort to bring about greater understanding through intense but civil dialogue. Those unwilling to participate in that style of learning will not learn much from their time at a university.
That’s why YSU will reinforce this freedom of expression ideal with even more emphasis. I call on university leaders across the nation to join us in endorsing the “Youngstown State Commitment.”
This commitment begins with courage and the moral clarity to declare that expressing opinions – even those some might find unpopular or uncomfortable – isn’t violence. Claiming otherwise is at odds with undeniable truth
Speakers with a wide arc of viewpoints are welcome at YSU. We encourage diverse perspectives.
Shielding students from ideas under the guise of protection denies them intellectual growth. Resorting to cancellation, rage or violence because you disagree with someone shows immaturity. Exposure to genuine, reasoned perspectives – even those that provoke disagreement – is the foundation of critical thinking.
Let’s stop dismissing people we disagree with as “controversial” or “provocateurs.” Those labels turn up the heat but turn down the light. Charlie Kirk was flippantly labeled that way by adversaries, yet he built an incredible network of students who – more than any other young cohort in half a century – engaged in public policy and public discourse.
People like Charlie Kirk should be celebrated for sharing ideas calmly and reasonably. That shouldn’t be controversial. Without respect to viewpoint, those who will engage thoughtfully and civilly are welcome at YSU to speak and answer the toughest questions our students might ask.
Even presidents unwilling to go as far as YSU in fully embracing free speech can still make a statement after this despicable assassination. For example, they could commit to reversing the trend of commencement speakers being disproportionately from political extremes.
Universities should be at the forefront. In Ohio, our state lawmakers wisely insisted freedom of thought be central to campus life. But no university should wait for legislation or the next act of campus violence to institute change.
America’s universities are not refuges from offense; they are training grounds for truth. Let us be the generation of educators who refused to equate words with weapons and chose instead to defend both speech and civilization. That’s the Youngstown State Commitment – and it’s the American way.