As a senior of my high school, I have spent a long four years dealing with the disappearance of basic human rights, as made clear in the Bill of Rights, as I pass through the double-doors of my school. It seems to me that through my experience, I find that everything in school, and increasingly in the outside world, has a limit. Censorship is flooding the schools, and making its way more and more to the national public. Right now, teenagers are forbidden to write in school newspapers about abortion, gay marriage, or other touchy subjects. These issues are issues that teens find interesting, across the board. While they censor these ideas, which clearly go against fundamental Christian beliefs, most high schools forbid members of Fellowship of Christian Athletes to put up posters of hand out fliers about their organization. Some don't even allow the group to hold their meetings inside the school. I have been looking for the answer for years and have still not found why we lose our elementary rights as not only citizens, but as human beings, as soon as we enter a school building. Is there some unspoken rule or law in the deep pages of American law that states that you are a non-citizen until the age of 18? As far as I know there is none.
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I agree with you on how schools only allow what they feel are the best topics students can talk on. I am also a High school Sr. and feel that we should be given a right to speak out. There should be clubs of all topics. I know that some clubs could cause more problems in school, but if children are anle to speak out with others like them then I feel there would be less drop out rate and few students killing them self because they feel they are all alone.
Good topic
The school system is essentially designed to produce "good American citizens", or at least what those with middle-class values believe to be "good American citizens". The definition of this term has changed with the middle class, and therefore so has the school system. Currently, the focus seems to be on "political correctness", the idea that one should not offend anybody. A wonderful sentiment, but one frequently misused, especially in the context of the schools. The idea now seems to be avoiding all debate and controversy in favor of a sterilized society that ignores differences instead of dealing with them. This creates a seemingly accepting environment without really addressing the issue at hand, thus producing "good American citizens" that support diversity in a vague way without really knowing what that means; and at the same time prejudices people against those who were previously privileged, the straight white male Christians, in favor of those who were formerly oppressed, such as homosexuals, ethnic minorities, women, and non-Christians. The problem with this thinking is that reversing dichotomies doesn't solve anything-it just creates a new problem.
You make a good point, but it is important to remember the context of these 'rights violations'. Organizations like the Christian Fellowship can restrict freedom of speech because membership is voluntary and usually corresponds to beliefs upheld by the group. Suppression by the government is significant because you cannot choose whether you are subject to it.
As far as freedom of speech in public schools is concerned, it doesn't stop you from blogging as you are or starting a club of like-minded students to discuss issues important to you. Freedom of speech doesn't necessarily mean the ability to say whatever you want where ever you want, but it does mean that if you want to talk about an institution outside the channels it governs, you're free to do it.
Welcome to life. I completly know where you're coming from, but that's how life is. Your comment, "Currently, the focus seems to be on "political correctness", the idea that one should not offend anybody. A wonderful sentiment, but one frequently misused," is exactly how I feel. You can look all around our Nation and see that people are so concerned with being politically correct that they are forgetting that people have feelings and traditions. I think you are exactly right that, "The idea now seems to be avoiding all debate and controversy in favor of a sterilized society that ignores differences instead of dealing with them." Take a look at how we deal with religion, instead of having people embrace their religion they are forced to hide it. ITs as if our society is being forced to all be the same, pretty soon we will be known as the cookie-cutter nation because we are no longer allowed to be different or speak freely. If we as a society could learn to accept others for you they are and allow people to embrace their differences than I believe that our country, as well as the world would flourish.
We can already see where the whole "politically correct" thing is going. Canada has laws prohibiting anything that can be construed as "hate speech". This has been extended to broadcasts of programs recorded in the U.S. that quote from biblical passages critical of homosexuality being banned from broadcast in Canada. This is just one isolated example of a larger trend. One recent example in America is the whole "nappy-headed hoes" issue with Rutgers basketball. Not that I am in favor of hate speech, but censoring free speech in order to avoid it is not dealing with the problem, but hiding it. The better response to that situation would be to educate the public about prejudice and equality, not to simply fire a man for being a racist.