1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to stop SB 1. This bill must not pass in the state of Ohio. I was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, attend Miami University, taught in Ohio schools, and continue to work in education in the state. As an educator and expert in the field, I can speak confidently that censoring our public university’s classrooms will only hurt our students. It will deter students from applying to Ohio universities which will ripple effect into our job market and economy. We have some of the best public universities in the country, places where students can be challenged and prepared for what awaits them in the next chapter of their lives. You cannot successfully argue that these universities enact some “liberal agenda” when conservative politicians like Paul Ryan are graduates. I imagine Paul Ryan’s career would have looked much different if he hadn’t been able to discuss foreign policy, electoral politics, and immigration. Young adults deserve the space to engage and grapple with these tough topics so that they can form their own opinion and head into the world as an educated citizen. SB 1 seeks to handicap students and create a generation of citizens without critical thinking skills that can be more easily manipulated by extremists propaganda. You cannot say that you believe in free speech, support education, or desire a strong work force if you support this bill. It must be voted down and Ohio education must be protected.