Free speech ball event at University of New Mexico
By Michael Niemand
Americans For Prosperity at the University of New Mexico held a free speech ball event to help raise awareness about the importance of free speech on college campuses. Students, faculty, and visitors were invited to write anything of their choice on the oversized beach ball but were encouraged to write political ideas they believed may be controversial today.
The group then invited participants to join in a conversation about the ideas written on the ball. Civil discussions about the role of big government and opposing stances on abortion took place. The event was a smashing success in that everyone felt welcome to share their opinions and was invited to view these pressing issues from multiple perspectives among their peers.
As Americans for Prosperity at UNM begins to set its foundation on campus, this event played an instrumental part in bringing awareness to what we stand for. Ultimately, we encourage our members to be “thought leaders” in Free Speech and Peace on campus. In addition, our organization sets out to be facilitators for free speech and peaceful debate and hopes to serve as a resource for other student groups wanting to maintain civility in conversation on the most pressing issues facing Americans today.
