Sierra College Students and Auburn Area Democratic Club Hava a Chat

At the start of each semester at Sierra College, Rocklin campus, the Auburn Area Democratic Club (AADC) volunteers do nonpartisan voter registration. What immediately struck them this semester was that students were aware of the special election for Redistricting (Prop50) on November 4. As usual they showed interest in the AADC political surveys. Further, the number of students completing the voter registration forms was encouraging. Interestingly, this semester students are registering more often as Democrats. Students usually register with “No Party Preference.”

The AADC volunteers use the surveys as a way to engage students’ interest. Recently on their registration gig, the first group of students flipped the table, sort to speak, asking the AADC volunteers to take their student survey. AADC and students obliged, students departing to the library afterwards to administer their survey to their peers. Upon their return, they wanted to know why AADC returned to campus every week, why we thought voting was so important, and why talking to students made us hopeful about the future. The results below are positively revealing.

 PCDCC Communications
September 2025

News Survey 9/23/25

Is Free Speech Free?

The 1st. Amendment from 1791, includes the right of freedom of speech.

Which of these concern you the most?

The Supreme Court ruled that 1st. Amendment rights of companies are equal to the rights of individuals. So, they have the right to advertise to us. 10

“Citizens United” , a Supreme Court case, ruled that any limits on corporate political spending amount to a ban on free speech. 5

The rights of free speech shall not be infringed for anyone or any organization, even hate speech must be protected to protect free speech. 21

The 1st. Amendment includes,” Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.”

Which of these concern you the most?

Separation of church and state means no government support of religious schools or any one religion. So, no posting of the 10 Commandments of Koran. 23

Federal laws and funds cannot support a particular religion. So, vouchers can only be used for public and private non-religious schools. Some states ignore this. 5

Support for voucher for school choice is being interpreted that government funds can go to any school at the choice of the parent, even religious ones. 3

In Trump’s inauguration speech he promised emphatically that he would protect free speech, including his critics.

Which of these bests fit your current thinking?

Charlie Kirk emphasized that all speech, no matter how offensive, was protected by the 1st. Amendment.
6

The White House has argued that there is a difference between free speech and hate speech or speech celebrating violence and so hate speech is illegal. 0

Legally, all kinds of speech-including hate speech-are protected by the 1st. Amendment, unless that speech is an incitement to violence. 26

Which of these attacks on free speech bother you most?

Mr. Trump suggested regarding any network that, “Maybe their license should be taken away” for airing negative content.
22

Trump’s Attorney General Bondi stated last week that “We will absolutely target you, go after you, if you are targeting anyone with hate speech, anything”. 6

The F.C.C. commissioner Carr threatened that the F.C.C. could take official action to get Mr. Kimmel off the air and indicated that others could lose their license. 2