FIRE president and CEO Greg Lukianoff dissects a survey on free speech on U.S. campuses which also marked Harvard as the worst school for free speech.

Anyone who confuses speech with violence has likely never been punched in the face. I have been many times, and I have to tell you: It hurts in a way no insult ever could.

Unfortunately, not everyone understands this. In a disturbing new poll, my organization, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, has found that 80% of Americans agreed at least slightly that "words can be violence."

But it’s even worse than that. Nearly half of Americans say the phrase "words can be violence" either "mostly" or "completely" describes their thoughts.

Supporters of former President Trump argue with anti-Trump demonstrators outside during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on Oct. 27, 2024, in New York City. (Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

I know intimately why this is not just wrong, but a real threat to our democracy.

AGE OF RAGE VS. FREE SPEECH: WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE AND HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED

The scariest moment of my life happened in my sophomore year of high school. I remember the exact date: March 14, 1991. I walked out of school to see one of my friends covered in blood.

He had picked a fight with a kid and had been badly beating him. Turns out the kid had been bullied a few too many times. He snapped, stabbing my friend close to his sternum. I........

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