This is cross posted at
The Pacific Daily .
Okay, here is a definite sign that I'm getting old. Generations before mine have accused us as being lazy and uninformed, but this really scares me.
The way many high-school students see it, government censorship of newspapers may not be a bad thing, and flag burning is hardly protected free speech.
It turns out the First Amendment is a second-rate issue to many of those nearing their own adult independence, according to a study of high-school attitudes released yesterday.
The original amendment to the Constitution is the cornerstone of the way of life in the United States, promising citizens the freedoms of religion, speech, press and assembly.
Yet, when told of the exact text of the First Amendment, more than one in three high-school students said it goes "too far" in the rights it guarantees. Only half of the students said newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories.
I'm going to repeat that last sentence because it is very important, "Only half of the students said newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories." What are they thinking? I wasn't the most informed teenager and I could always work towards being a better informed citizen, but this just reeks of sheer ignorance.
Maybe they think this way because they are confused as to what is currently legal and what isn't.
Three in four students said flag burning is illegal. It's not. About half the students said the government can restrict any indecent material on the Internet. It can't.
I don't want to lay all of the blame on the students. The glaring problem here is that schools are not doing their part when it comes to teaching history and social/political sciences. Most kids in high school don't really care about history and how it might relate to current events. They need teachers and curriculum that will teach them the importance of the Bill of Rights and the importance of being informed on issues. They need to understand that being informed does not just include watching the news every night, but entails an understanding of the issues. The best way to understand how current events may affect the future is to realize how they relate to history. This stuff is all very boring to teenagers and that is where schools, teachers, and parents need to be involved. These are the people that can help convince high school students of the importance of being an informed citizen.
I'm going to stop ranting now. I'm beginning to sound like my grandfather.
-mtfriend
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