Freedom of speech is on a lot of minds these days — even Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who spoke at the state Department of Higher Education’s Trustees Conference recently.

According to a report by the Ohio Capital Journal, DeWine felt it important to remind policymakers on college campuses that an environment in which people are comfortable speaking freely is essential.

His remarks were inspired, of course, by the killing of Charlie Kirk and its aftermath, though he noted the notion of whether Kirk’s death could have been prevented was a security issue, not a speech issue.

“I’m talking about the obligation, I think, that colleges have to create a culture … colleges should be a place of ideas,” DeWine said, according to the Capital Journal.

Given the setting, it makes sense that DeWine was focusing on institutions of higher learning, saying college campuses should be a place where ideas are respected.

“You might disagree with one of your fellow students, but that’s kind of what college is all about,” DeWine said. “It’s exploring and getting different ideas. … Free speech is important. It’s important everywhere, but it’s also super important, I think, in the village of college campuses.”

“Super important” there, perhaps. But also, vital to what it means to be an American, EVERYWHERE.

For each and every one of us, the rights guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitution are non-negotiable. Without them, we can’t, as DeWine puts it, explore and get different ideas. We can’t learn about one another and ourselves.

We can’t do better for one another. And that is something we must all start working toward, without delay.