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| Schools serve as prisons for outspoken students. |
The granted right to free speech first came about when the US Constitution was put into effect in 1789. Opinions were mixed, sporting many supporters and many opposers. Blood has been shed, many lives have been lost, many have been censored, ridiculed and punished informally. Free speech in the school at first was considered a laughing matter. People could not begin to imagine the two coinciding. Before the 1960's school was a rare opportunity and a privilege. Students were just grateful to even have an education, and fairness took a back seat. Students were thought of as inferiors(and still are), and the majority followed rules.
Many were not outspoken. Those students who were received harsh punishments not only from teachers and principals, but from peers, friends and parents as well. Even to this day, where school is an opportunity granted to nearly every American child, students are still censored and punished for their thoughts. "Offenses" can be anything from the word crap or gay, to the most degrading racial and homophobic slurs. Students are often attacked if they write, or state any controversial ideas in any way. Students in preschool and elementary school receive the strictest of censorship, and the strictest stifling of creative thought. Censorship in schools stretches across all forms of free speech including T-shirts, visual art, writing, and computer projects. A child in the 1st grade will receive more harassment for their outspokenness than a child in the 5th grade, whereas a college student will most likely be guaranteed the same rights to free speech as their parents.
Dress codes limiting which messages can be displayed on clothing , and limits of lengths of shirts and pants are universal.
In the visual arts department, you may have seen a picture hung up with nipples, breasts, genitalia, or weapons slapped tastelessly with a thick coat of white out. You may have seen stacks of confiscated laptops, and dozens of angry children lined up in the principal's office who do not belong there. School officials often have the misconception that younger children have no business knowing or speaking of thoughts which do not conform to the mentality of the christianized American society. Schools wish to prevent it's students from hearing of anything that may be controversial, and certainly do not want them speaking of it. School officials see outspoken thoughts coming from young children as "age inappropriate", and blame it on the responsibility of the parent. Thoughts which would not be given the time a day had it come from an older student or parent.
Many loving parents who want only the best for their children are wrongly accused of child abuse and their children get blackmailed, and shunned from the school community. Some school officials even go as far as to report the child exercising his or her 1st Amendment rights to CPS(Child Protective Services), or to local authorities to be arrested and prosecuted for hate crimes and repeated disorderly conduct in the classroom. Many students have appeared on the news, being harassed by their school for things as harmless as hanging their country's flag on their bike, or for refusing to partake in the US Pledge of Allegiance.
While it is rare for a child to run into legal trouble due to 1st Amendment rights, there are many unfair decisions made by school officials, where children have to endure constant day to day harassment. Schools simply spend too much time and energy on a child who does no harm to the well being of other students, yet they simply ignore children who consistently bully others and expressly refuse to stop actual harm.
It seems as if the US government has thrown the 1st Amendment straight out the window when it concerns students. Though free speech theoretically does not exist, students should not be subject to the unharmonious end of that spectrum. When schools stifle the creativity of its students, students are taught from the time they enter that they must conform, and that their opinions are wrong, and should be corrected. They are taught that human tendencies such as sex, body parts, representing your nation, etc. that have existed for ages are morally incorrect, and inappropriate to speak or write about. And thus, children who are creative, after being stifled time and time again have their dreams crushed, and eventually have a desire to be like everybody else.
Controversial ideas should be welcomed and cherished. Schools can in fact use a student's outspokenness to their advantage for activities such as debate teams, writing competitions, etc. The controversial opinions of most students would not cause any physical harm, or emotional damage to anybody. Being offended is a completely different action which is taken by choice, and is not the same as harm and trauma. An example of harm speech would include yelling "fire" incorrectly in a movie theatre, or bullying someone to the point of suicide. Speech that does not harm, yet is offensive to many includes reference to sex, violence, or bodily functions. Speech that does not cause actual harm should be allowed. It is virtually impossible to come up with speech that does not offend at least somebody.
Students should be treated with the same respect that adults get and do not deserve to be censored-period.
Many were not outspoken. Those students who were received harsh punishments not only from teachers and principals, but from peers, friends and parents as well. Even to this day, where school is an opportunity granted to nearly every American child, students are still censored and punished for their thoughts. "Offenses" can be anything from the word crap or gay, to the most degrading racial and homophobic slurs. Students are often attacked if they write, or state any controversial ideas in any way. Students in preschool and elementary school receive the strictest of censorship, and the strictest stifling of creative thought. Censorship in schools stretches across all forms of free speech including T-shirts, visual art, writing, and computer projects. A child in the 1st grade will receive more harassment for their outspokenness than a child in the 5th grade, whereas a college student will most likely be guaranteed the same rights to free speech as their parents.
Dress codes limiting which messages can be displayed on clothing , and limits of lengths of shirts and pants are universal.
In the visual arts department, you may have seen a picture hung up with nipples, breasts, genitalia, or weapons slapped tastelessly with a thick coat of white out. You may have seen stacks of confiscated laptops, and dozens of angry children lined up in the principal's office who do not belong there. School officials often have the misconception that younger children have no business knowing or speaking of thoughts which do not conform to the mentality of the christianized American society. Schools wish to prevent it's students from hearing of anything that may be controversial, and certainly do not want them speaking of it. School officials see outspoken thoughts coming from young children as "age inappropriate", and blame it on the responsibility of the parent. Thoughts which would not be given the time a day had it come from an older student or parent.
Many loving parents who want only the best for their children are wrongly accused of child abuse and their children get blackmailed, and shunned from the school community. Some school officials even go as far as to report the child exercising his or her 1st Amendment rights to CPS(Child Protective Services), or to local authorities to be arrested and prosecuted for hate crimes and repeated disorderly conduct in the classroom. Many students have appeared on the news, being harassed by their school for things as harmless as hanging their country's flag on their bike, or for refusing to partake in the US Pledge of Allegiance.
While it is rare for a child to run into legal trouble due to 1st Amendment rights, there are many unfair decisions made by school officials, where children have to endure constant day to day harassment. Schools simply spend too much time and energy on a child who does no harm to the well being of other students, yet they simply ignore children who consistently bully others and expressly refuse to stop actual harm.
It seems as if the US government has thrown the 1st Amendment straight out the window when it concerns students. Though free speech theoretically does not exist, students should not be subject to the unharmonious end of that spectrum. When schools stifle the creativity of its students, students are taught from the time they enter that they must conform, and that their opinions are wrong, and should be corrected. They are taught that human tendencies such as sex, body parts, representing your nation, etc. that have existed for ages are morally incorrect, and inappropriate to speak or write about. And thus, children who are creative, after being stifled time and time again have their dreams crushed, and eventually have a desire to be like everybody else.
Controversial ideas should be welcomed and cherished. Schools can in fact use a student's outspokenness to their advantage for activities such as debate teams, writing competitions, etc. The controversial opinions of most students would not cause any physical harm, or emotional damage to anybody. Being offended is a completely different action which is taken by choice, and is not the same as harm and trauma. An example of harm speech would include yelling "fire" incorrectly in a movie theatre, or bullying someone to the point of suicide. Speech that does not harm, yet is offensive to many includes reference to sex, violence, or bodily functions. Speech that does not cause actual harm should be allowed. It is virtually impossible to come up with speech that does not offend at least somebody.
Students should be treated with the same respect that adults get and do not deserve to be censored-period.
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