First Amendment No Big Deal, Students Say
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Join Date: 2003-02-11 Member: 13423Members
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<a href='http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/01/31/students.amendment.ap/index.html' target='_blank'>http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/01/31/st...t.ap/index.html</a>
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->WASHINGTON (AP) -- 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 Monday.
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.
"These results are not only disturbing; they are dangerous," said Hodding Carter III, president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which sponsored the $1 million study. "Ignorance about the basics of this free society is a danger to our nation's future."
The students are even more restrictive in their views than their elders, the study says.
When asked whether people should be allowed to express unpopular views, 97 percent of teachers and 99 percent of school principals said yes. Only 83 percent of students did.
The results reflected indifference, with almost three in four students saying they took the First Amendment for granted or didn't know how they felt about it. It was also clear that many students do not understand what is protected by the bedrock of the Bill of Rights.
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.
"Schools don't do enough to teach the First Amendment. Students often don't know the rights it protects," Linda Puntney, executive director of the Journalism Education Association, said in the report. "This all comes at a time when there is decreasing passion for much of anything. And, you have to be passionate about the First Amendment."
The partners in the project, including organizations of newspaper editors and radio and television news directors, share a clear advocacy for First Amendment issues.
Federal and state officials, meanwhile, have bemoaned a lack of knowledge of U.S. civics and history among young people. Sen. Robert Byrd, D-West Virginia, has even pushed through a mandate that schools must teach about the Constitution on September 17, the date it was signed in 1787.
The survey, conducted by researchers at the University of Connecticut, is billed as the largest of its kind. More than 100,000 students, nearly 8,000 teachers and more than 500 administrators at 544 public and private high schools took part in early 2004.
The study suggests that students embrace First Amendment freedoms if they are taught about them and given a chance to practice them, but schools don't make the matter a priority.
Students who take part in school media activities, such as student newspapers or TV production, are much more likely to support expression of unpopular views, for example.
About nine in 10 principals said it is important for all students to learn some journalism skills, but most administrators say a lack of money limits their media offerings.
More than one in five schools offer no student media opportunities; of the high schools that do not offer student newspapers, 40 percent have eliminated them in the last five years.
"The last 15 years have not been a golden era for student media," said Warren Watson, director of the J-Ideas project at Ball State University in Indiana. "Programs are under siege or dying from neglect. Many students do not get the opportunity to practice our basic freedoms."<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is... extremely disturbing.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->WASHINGTON (AP) -- 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 Monday.
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.
"These results are not only disturbing; they are dangerous," said Hodding Carter III, president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, which sponsored the $1 million study. "Ignorance about the basics of this free society is a danger to our nation's future."
The students are even more restrictive in their views than their elders, the study says.
When asked whether people should be allowed to express unpopular views, 97 percent of teachers and 99 percent of school principals said yes. Only 83 percent of students did.
The results reflected indifference, with almost three in four students saying they took the First Amendment for granted or didn't know how they felt about it. It was also clear that many students do not understand what is protected by the bedrock of the Bill of Rights.
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.
"Schools don't do enough to teach the First Amendment. Students often don't know the rights it protects," Linda Puntney, executive director of the Journalism Education Association, said in the report. "This all comes at a time when there is decreasing passion for much of anything. And, you have to be passionate about the First Amendment."
The partners in the project, including organizations of newspaper editors and radio and television news directors, share a clear advocacy for First Amendment issues.
Federal and state officials, meanwhile, have bemoaned a lack of knowledge of U.S. civics and history among young people. Sen. Robert Byrd, D-West Virginia, has even pushed through a mandate that schools must teach about the Constitution on September 17, the date it was signed in 1787.
The survey, conducted by researchers at the University of Connecticut, is billed as the largest of its kind. More than 100,000 students, nearly 8,000 teachers and more than 500 administrators at 544 public and private high schools took part in early 2004.
The study suggests that students embrace First Amendment freedoms if they are taught about them and given a chance to practice them, but schools don't make the matter a priority.
Students who take part in school media activities, such as student newspapers or TV production, are much more likely to support expression of unpopular views, for example.
About nine in 10 principals said it is important for all students to learn some journalism skills, but most administrators say a lack of money limits their media offerings.
More than one in five schools offer no student media opportunities; of the high schools that do not offer student newspapers, 40 percent have eliminated them in the last five years.
"The last 15 years have not been a golden era for student media," said Warren Watson, director of the J-Ideas project at Ball State University in Indiana. "Programs are under siege or dying from neglect. Many students do not get the opportunity to practice our basic freedoms."<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is... extremely disturbing.
Comments
How much more willingly will they do that if they don't care about free speech in the first case?
No, it's another article on how High Schoolers don't know their head from their toes. Big freaking deal.
Which could lead to
<!--QuoteBegin-NumbersNotFound+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (NumbersNotFound)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Nuclear war? ... Bio warfare?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Which could lead to
<!--QuoteBegin-NumbersNotFound+--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (NumbersNotFound)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Nuclear war? ... Bio warfare?<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Not really. They're High Schoolers. Possibly one of the most overconfident yet most naive demographics ever. Hardly a cause of nuclear war.
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.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, freedom of religion has been suppressed for so long in schools that it's no wonder they'd consider wiping out the others as well.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Federal and state officials, meanwhile, have bemoaned a lack of knowledge of U.S. civics and history among young people.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I've been saying this since before many of the readers here even <u>started</u> high school.
GG Bill of Rights.
Virtually everything I have learned about History/Civics/Government/Social Studies (what ever PC term they want us to use now, which brings up a good point, maybe they should stop arguing over what to call it and figure out how to teach it...but I'll save that rant.) I taught myself, ether through books the internet or assorted media outlets. The school system is a disgusting thing; they could care less how much you learn they just want to push you through as quickly as possible.
Even when you do get the teachers that care, half your class is bound to be mindless mouth breathing goons that cut through nice teachers like a hot knife through butter.
Wait, let me finish this essay entitled, "PATRIOTISM IN AMERICA, AND HOW YOU SUPPORT THE WAR EFFORT" for my history class. (true story, but not really).
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.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Well, freedom of religion has been suppressed for so long in schools that it's no wonder they'd consider wiping out the others as well.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Just about every freedom that exists is oppressed in public shools. Theres a dress code, rules on what can and cannot be said, obviously one cannot bear arms. Religion is such a minor issue compared to those.
<!--QuoteBegin--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> The American school system is so long overdue for a complete revamping it’s ridiculous.
Virtually everything I have learned about History/Civics/Government/Social Studies (what ever PC term they want us to use now, which brings up a good point, maybe they should stop arguing over what to call it and figure out how to teach it...but I'll save that rant.) I taught myself, ether through books the internet or assorted media outlets. The school system is a disgusting thing; they could care less how much you learn they just want to push you through as quickly as possible.
Even when you do get the teachers that care, half your class is bound to be mindless mouth breathing goons that cut through nice teachers like a hot knife through butter.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I agree with most of this. The US public school system is in horrid shape. But I didn't actually think that it had gotten this bad. So bad that people actually believe that the first amendment gives too much freedom? I dread the idea of living in a country that will be run by these people...
The reasoning behind these Chicano studies imparts some understanding to why people may view the First Amendment as going "too far". The dominant opinion of oppression of other cultures and races by the white majority might be the reason that many students feel that there might be something wrong with the first amendment. Maybe because they feel it gives free license to discriminate in our new "enlightened, culturally aware" society and most be hindered.
I'm sure there is a myriad of reasons for student's opinion, but I'm sure it has mostly to do with the new American culture feeling that there's a looming cloud of racism and "cultural hate" due to special interest seeping down from higher academia. The situation may be entirely unique to California, but I think the fear of racism and the like has been engrained in America's youth enough to the point that they feel like there should be restrictions on what people can say because it may not be in tune with their opinions and intellectual monopoly.
Back on the topic... Most of the people at my school are utterly moronic in every conceivable way, so these statistics don't surprise me all that much. But it scares me to think of what that 36% will do when they go into the "real world".
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<b>what?!</b>
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<b>what?!</b> <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
What do you mean what? Its not as though teachers tell the students "You can't believe in God!". Get over yourselves (you christian nutjobs). You're being oppressed far less than you immagine.
Not surprised, although I am concerned about the future of America.
At the same time I strongly dislike school codes on skirt lengths.
In all my years of public school, I never witnessed freedom of religion being supressed. What specifically is it that you are referring to?
Its called the seperation of church and state. And I'll be damned (or whatever, I don't believe in being damned as an atheist) if the science department is going to start <s>teaching</s> preaching Creationism.
But besides that, I never saw any teachers taking crucifixes off've christian kids or anything. There were at least 3 prayer groups, a christian one, a muslim one.. and another one of which the religion it represented i can't remember right now. We even got taught about judaism, christianity, muslim and islam during my time at our school.
If anything I'd say this was better than enforced saying-of-the-lords-prayer like some christians want, it let kids look at all (or at least, the most popular) religions in the country at the time and decide which one they want to follow, if any.
So... damn. America sucks <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->.
But besides that, I never saw any teachers taking crucifixes off've christian kids or anything. There were at least 3 prayer groups, a christian one, a muslim one.. and another one of which the religion it represented i can't remember right now. We even got taught about judaism, christianity, muslim and islam during my time at our school.
If anything I'd say this was better than enforced saying-of-the-lords-prayer like some christians want, it let kids look at all (or at least, the most popular) religions in the country at the time and decide which one they want to follow, if any.
So... damn. America sucks <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin-fix.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin-fix.gif' /><!--endemo-->. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Trust me - as someone who went to a school where you had to go to chapel services, skirts are much more interesting. If I could excahgne all the hours wasted in a service for time wearing a short skirt, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
kids are dumb... we need a good WWIII and a good post war boom to get things going good again.
If you'd bothered paying attention in your History classes, you'd notice that war is the most powerful catalyst for human technological and sociatal development. I mean, if we had other extreme things, like earthquakes on the scale of 10 occuring every few months, that might enable us to move forward at an equal pace, but human against human brings out the best and worst in us.
Onto the subject at hand, American education is total and complete crap. We don't challenge talented students, we don't teach our children about important business concepts like "ownership" (our very nation is based on individual ownership), we bicker about stupid crap like "creation versus evolution," when both have large facets that are wrong with them, school systems spend money in ways that allows them to waste as much as possible (sometimes I wonder if schools aren't just shredding tax dollars), and we teach our children what they don't need.
If you'd bothered paying attention in your History classes, you'd notice that war is the most powerful catalyst for human technological and sociatal development. I mean, if we had other extreme things, like earthquakes on the scale of 10 occuring every few months, that might enable us to move forward at an equal pace, but human against human brings out the best and worst in us. <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If you'd bothered paying attention to my post, I don't deny that war is a catalyst. What I'm saying is that the idea of<i> needing</i> war to stimulate reform is a very depressing one.
At the same time I strongly dislike school codes on skirt lengths. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
Oh come now, I'm a high schoool student and, though I may not like it, I can at least understand the necessity of not allowing uber-short skirts in high school.
As depressing as it is Americas best generations arose during the two world wars, in my opinion anyway.
Take a look around you; do you think the current generations could handle a WWII like event? I don't think so. I look around at today’s youth (still being one myself) and all I can think when I see the majority of them is that they really, really need a big dose of reality.
If that comes in the form of war, so be it.