Three students from Kellogg Community College were arrested January 20th for handing out copies of the United States Constitution.

The students told their peers about their Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) chapter, an organization that seeks to identify, educate, train and mobilize young people committed to winning elections on principal. 

The students arrested were informed by campus security they were breaking the school’s “soliciting policy” by not requesting permission to talk with their peers.

The school’s soliciting policy reads, “Soliciting activities on campus are permitted only when the activities support the mission of Kellogg Community College (KCC) or the mission of a recognized college entity or activity.”

Young Americans for Liberty’s mission is to fight for the rights that are in the Constitution, meaning that this “event” clearly follows the mission of its university approved organization.  

When did handing out the Constitution at a public university become means for arrest?

A public university is funded by taxes, meaning that those arrested have essentially paid for the right to be there.

Cliff Maloney Jr., president of Young Americans for Liberty stated, “Remember, this is a public, American tax-payer funded community college. A place that is supposed to not only uphold the Bill of Rights, but set an example for its students. Yet, the administration’s actions are a direct violation of the First Amendment. Who knew the Constitution was so controversial? Time in the slammer for handing out pocket constitutions? This is insane.”

When did a historic document such as the Constitution become unwelcome on college campuses?

The Constitution is a document that stores information on our rights as American citizens. According to the lawsuit filed by Alliance Defending Freedom, the students were told to stop because they were “”impeding students’ access to education.”

Handing out a historic document for students to educate themselves is now delaying their education? This statement alone is absolutely ridiculous.

These students were exercising their rights granted by the First Amendment which states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

The arrested students were simply handing out Constitutions and advertising their chapter, which is a form of freedom of speech and expression.

As campus security took the student’s Constitutions, hopefully they kept one to read.

Sadly, Kellogg Community College hasn’t and won’t be the only case like this one.

Students, we need to remember that we have rights. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “The greatest danger of American freedom is a government that ignores its Constitution.”