One of the things I love – or loved – about being blessed to live in the United States is – or was – our freedom to speak and have viewpoints that differ from our family, friends and colleagues. When I was in college eons ago, there often were spirited debates on an array of topics both in class and outside of it. In a newsroom I previously was part of, it wasn’t uncommon to hear or be part of enthusiastic discussions about this or that. In both instances, when the banter was over, everyone walked away still friends, still respecting the other. So it has been disheartening to see what is currently occurring in the U.S., particularly on our university and college campuses. Buried deep in a Wall Street Journal article written Douglas Belkin about some alumni withholding donations in an effort to pressure schools to enforce free speech are these stats from a survey by RealClearEducation, College Pulse and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education: 66% of the more than 37,000 students surveyed said it is acceptable to shout down a speaker to prevent the person from speaking on campus; 23% of respondents said it is acceptable to use violence to stop a campus speech. Countless people throughout the history of the U.S. have stated that a country that promotes having a marketplace of ideas is preferable to one that stymies debate or censors speech. Maybe that’s a topic that ought to be included again in our education systems.