Marquette University - Hilltop Yearbook (Milwaukee, WI)

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vances freedom of expression by giving the opportunity to practice expression. In that sense, the university is a virtual spur to free expression. Especially is Marquette University a boon to free expression. Here at Marquette, we can receive a liberal education. The very essence of a liberal education is freedom—intellectual freedom, freedom from ignorance and narrow mindedness. If our minds are liberally educated, our expressions will also be liberal, for expression is an externalization of ideas. Liberal expression is just another way of saying free expression. Another notion is pertinent here. Marquette is a place of intellectual wholeness. A law student does not learn only about law, nor does a medical student study only medicine. They both acquire a common knowledge in the liberal arts. Hence they have something in common, a fact which is very significant. For this common knowledge gives them a common factor of communication. In this way, Marquette is performing a great service for the community. Marquette assures communication between various fields of endeavor by giving these various specialists something common to discuss. In thus freeing their minds from the limitation of specialty. Marquette is greatly promoting freedom of expression. It is hardly necessary to elaborate upon the other ways in which Marquette quickens freedom of expression. They are so obvious. Even time a Marquette student expresses himself in some University organization, Marquette is fostering this freedom. Class discussions, writing assignments, publications, student government, debate squads, essay contests and many other activities provide opportunities for student expression. Such enumeration is mere repetition of one very sound idea, that the way to ensure freedom of expression is to practice expression, just as the way to ensure freedom of action (virtue) is to practice virtue. Marquette has strongly adhered to this idea and is therefore a strongliold of free expression. Upon leaving Marquette, a sincere graduate cannot help but be somewhat experienced in communicating with his fellowinen. He has had the practice. More than that, be has the one thing indispensable to free expression, a mind free from the ignorance of bias and prejudice and a mind so developed that it properly sees the working proportion of freedom needed to balance the God-given autltority of Church and State. Most of all, the Marquette graduate recognizes the Source of his freedom and realizes that the truest expression, the expression that is most free, is the expression of gratitude for the gift of freedom.

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Freedom of Expression Expression is the trademark of man. Expression is a sign of intellectual thought and of free will, powers which are uniquely man’s. Because of these powers and because of the common ends of men, man is said to be a social person. He does not walk alone in this world; he shares his existence and his ideas with other men. Thus, expression is a very important power. It is so important that man's natural right to express himself is inalienable. Man is free to express what should be expressed. It must always be kept in mind that freedom of expression is not freedom to say what one chooses to say. That is not freedom but license and would result in the evils of heresy, licentiousness and detraction. A rational being must communicate reasonably. A social being must communicate within the limits of the common good of his society. Man, being both rational and social, must then communicate according to the dictates of his reason and according to the good of his society. Only then will he be truly free, because only then will he be acting according to his nature. A person is most free when he is perfecting his own nature. When man chooses to express what is good, he is exercising the glorious freedom of self perfection. This exercise can only be externally abridged and in such forms as censorship and tyranny. Since freedom of expression involves the communication of what ought to be communi- cated, it is clear that man has certain duties, as well as rights, regarding expression. Man, the free agent can express what he wants to. But man. tlie responsible agent, must express only what is morally good. Bound by reality, man should communicate only the truth. He should never lie. He should not remain silent when injustice or evil threatens. Man is subject to authority and has the duty of obedience, a duty which must often limit his exercise of the right of expression. Most of all, man must be cliaritable in his expression. The violence of expression is a violence unequalled by any physical one. It can cloud the brightness of a good name; worse, it can ruin a human soul. Expression is not free unless charitable, for the man wlio communicates uncharitably is a slave to sin. Expression presupposes knowledge, so a university training is clearly important to freedom of expression. The chief limitation to communication is the lack of something to communicate. A man cannot express what he does not know. A university training greatly encourages freedom of expression by helping to remove the shackles of ignorance. And in doing this, a university education also lessens the danger of external suppression. Censorship and suppression are less often necessary among good and intelligent men. Too reasonable to communicate improperly, they are a law unto themselves. Finally, a university training ad-

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Freedom of Political Belief i OUTICA L freedom is often understood to mean the absence of governmental restraint over people who engage in politics, except insofar as those activities actually undermine the existing government. Due to man's social nature, his political freedom is of great importance to him, and the society he creates for himself must 1m? directed towards his best interests. Political freedom places many responsibilities upon each member of society. The greatest responsibility political freedom entails is that the members of that free society work towards preserving and improving it. Marquette plays a large part in preparing people for this responsibility by teaching its students the structure of our society so they will not unconsciously work against it. The students are also inspired to work for freedom and are urged to keep it in the forefront of their thinking. Besides the responsibility of working to preserve political freedom, each member of society must participate in society. It is each member's obligation to use his voice to the extent to which he is entitled and to donate whatever is rightfully expected of him to society. These are the ideas which must be placed in the hearts and minds of men and it is at Marquette that a great deal of it is done. Any freedom requires that its possessors have the knowledge of what is good so they can fulfill the responsibility which comes with that freedom. Marquette University gives the education leading to this knowledge. However, Marquette differs from many institutions in that it goes beyond the limit of scientific truths in its teachings, and stresses the philosophical and theological truths as the backbone of education. We are instructed tliat we have a moral responsibility to society rather than a merely practical one. Here at the University each of us is implanted with the basic principle that actions which arc morally right are also good for us. This principle will serve as our guide throughout our public life. Many people lack the right outlook on their obligation to society simply because they ignore or are ignorant of the fact. As a result they consider onlv material conditions when making a decision as a member of society. They fail to realize what we have been taught, namely, that man exists in a moral order, the very same order in which his rights exist, and only by observing his moral obligations does he fulfill his responsibility to society. Man is in society because he cannot achieve his greatest good by himself, even though he has a great Individual potential. As a social animal, this potential is combined with that of others in society. Here at Marquette we are taught to what acts this potential is to ! e aimed upon graduation. We will then take these lessons we have learned and follow them, thus bringing our potential into l eing. The lessons we will take with us from Marquette have