As I witness the unfolding foul politics in America of censorship and the gradual decimation of the most important right guaranteed by our Constitution, that of free speech, I reflect back to sad moments of my independent school teaching.

I consider myself privileged to have taught for 25 years at a selective private high school for girls in the Pacific Northwest.  I taught math, including all those topics many readers might consider difficult or even worthless – trigonometry, logarithms, calculus, etc.  The girls I taught were diverse in a way: some locals, many from Asian countries, whose parents had chosen to send their daughters to a rigorous English-only independent school, eventually hoping (and rightfully expecting) them to be admitted to a credentialed, name-brand American university.  My school did this well.  I did my job well also.

During my many years of teaching maths, occasionally, a precocious student would test the waters and ask me a question designed to detour my intended lesson, mostly towards political events of the day.  I knew what she was doing, and she knew I might oblige her.  And while I did not often allow these detours, sometimes I felt the sincerity of the question and the momentousness of the topic worthy.  

I especially remember one early-morning class when a worldly, smart girl asked my opinion about some current newsworthy event, and the topic quickly turned to free speech – a thing near and dear to my heart.  I smiled and asked, "I'll go here for a moment if you really don't want to learn about integrating by the partial fractions method."  The unanimous response invited us onward.  

"You know," I shared, "our Constitution is a remarkable document.  It recognizes and codifies many things we rarely consider but take for granted.  For example, the First Amendment guarantees us free speech.  We can say anything we want to say, even negative things about our government, and we don't have to worry about being grabbed in the dark of night and later 'disappeared.'" 

A few students woke from their early class stupor.

"But what about the person who says 'hate' things?" asked the provocateur.  Her question was genuine. 

"Well," I continued, "I agree that some people with this freedom will say things you and I disagree with – even noxious things."

"So they shouldn't be allowed to say them?"

"I understand your concern," I admitted, "but I fear where this eventually takes us."

High school students can be silly, and emotional, and spirited, but I learned over my many years teaching them that they can be challenged if done so with a cautious rhythm. 

"Did you know that there are places in this world where you cannot stand on the corner of a street and protest the president without being taken away by authorities and even thrown into a prison?  I think the fellow who stands up on his soapbox and says stupid, vile, contemptible things should be permitted to do so.  I might listen to him for a few minutes but decide he is an idiot and that I do not agree with his opinion...and I will walk away and ignore him." 

Students nodded their heads.

"But if you will allow the State to determine he is a fool, or bigot, or racist, and then allow the State to take him away, well you have now also made it possible for the patriot or the genius with his grand and inspiring ideas to be taken away as he speaks on a different corner.  And then his ideas – ideas you might adore – can be silenced, too.

"There are places in this world where you dare speak your mind with great fear.  There are places where the powerful State will interrupt or silence you, perhaps put a bullet in the back of your head after you dare to contest the way things are.  And this is the price you will pay when you prohibit free speech of new ideas, or old ideas, or nonsense ideas...or golden ideas.

"I say let the idiot or fool speak his mind, and you and I can ignore him and walk away.  But if you will silence the bad, you may also silence the good."

After 25 years in this privileged but dangerous employ, I have since moved on to other teaching adventures, after enduring ugly moments of censure and hypocritical shame from my administration – mostly because in private schools, tuition depends on the happiness of the clientele.  Sadly, today, should any student be made uncomfortable at any moment, the administration is quickly informed thereof, and consequences soon follow.  Recent events at Google, Penn State,  Middlebury College, and Berkeley are stings of this nasty bee's nest.

I encourage teachers of integrity and courage to push back against the madness we observe daily in our educational system.  Freedom of speech is the most profound gift our founding fathers gave to us.  Losing it, we will lose all.