Wow, that's really sad!

I'm left to conclude (or at least really, really hope) that the majority of high school kids aren't actually opposed to free speech, but that they're apathetic ignoramuses. And as outspoken pointed out, when kids think of "the press" they might be thinking of Inside View rather than CNN. However, some of the more direct questions the survey asked, such as whether or not people should be allowed to disagree with popular opinions, do raise alarm bells. Individual surveys (even ones on this scale) are often inaccurate, but if these stastistics genuinely reflect the view of American teens, then the Knight Foundation has finally managed to do what religious institutions have failed at for so long: they've got me praying.

As for matters of credibility: the Knight Foundation dates back to 1940, and I certainly don't see any red flags of inaccuracy going off on their webpages. The survey was conducted over a two year period, and it incorporated "more than 100,000 high school students, nearly 8,000 teachers, and more than 500 administrators and principals" (according to their website). I'm sorry if that isn't good enough for you, Marine. Perhaps we can work on getting it Bill O'Reilly approved.

I don't see why high school kids are against free speech. I think they abuse that right. They don't realize what people went through and how much people fought in the past to get where we are today. They fought for our rights and now they just want to give them up, that isn't right. People in other part of the world aren't as lucky as we are to have these rights, but those high school kids don't realize that.

Marine, I bluedemcrat, did not start this post. Please direct your complaints to paintbucket.

Free speech, in my opinion, is the pinnacle of the American belief system. Without free speech, we have nothing. We have no opinion and we are simply another person. Free speech makes up who were are.

Free speech is hearing what we hate the most.

I went to your website Blue, and could not find any hint of credibility. Nice try.

Who did they survey?!? This is kinda disturbing....
Well I know they prolly didn't survey any of my classmates, I know that we use our freedom of speech by how well the principal knows our names. Well I hope we find a way to reverse this ignorance and soon.

This is sad today. I think that these high schoolers who don't fully understand nor care about our freedom must really be ignorant. I hope I'm not offending anyone here. I am in college and I rather hear my college professor rant about the 1st amendment and making us write papers on it than to hear that today's youth don't give a rat's *** about out rights. ****. There are countries that don't have our rights. If I were those students, I should wake up everyday and cont my blessings that we don't live in a country that wouldn't shoot us if we disagree with the government.

I agree that youth today are dangerously ignorant of, not only the first amendment, but the entire constitution, the limits it puts on the government and the freedoms that it protects. However, the first ammendment has been outrageously abused, not only by the public but also in the courts. The press is allowed to publish classified government documents (umm, why do you think they are classified?), slander citizens that hold public positions (just because they're famous), and print obscene and offensive material. I'm not entirely comfortable with the government restricting free speech, but Americans need to learn to appreciate that freedom, not abuse it.

I was called down to my principal's office yesterday in response to my mom writing a letter complaining that the schools are too oppressive. She also wanted to tell me I couldn't wear my Bad Religion shirt because of the crossbuster. I tried to explain that student speech is protected by Tinker v. Des Moine and the constitution, and she replyed "Yes, I think your mom mentioned free speech. What is that, the third amendment?" Sad. Then she said that we must avoid controversy so no one will feel bad because our school is like a family. I have no clue where she got that idea, but it's bullsh**.

This disgusts me, that high school students don't know what the first amendment is. Being a student journalist its even worse. My school pretty much lets the newspaper, yearbook, and the Interim (literary arts magazine) go without administrator approval, the principles look at it, but really can't change it.
These past two weeks (the first 2 weeks of February) I've been conducting surveys of students for my article for journalism class, and out of the 50 or so kids (out of a school of 1500) I asked, only 5 or 6 knew what the First Amendment was...here is one of the quotes I got from someone; "We learned about the Amendments last year [ninth grade] in Civics, but I have no clue what the First Amendment is, or what it's about."
It just bothers me, its wrong that people don't know what it is, but also that we as HS students are cheated out of our rights.

Well, yeah, I could have told you that. Right now, America is conservative, so it makes sense that its youth population is as well.

But asking questions about "the press"--which is an *extremely* broad field--seems a little bit sketchy. For instance, I'm all for accurate coverage of government affairs and world new, etc, however I'm totally against "the press" hounding people's lives. So in one respect, I'm for the restrictions on press, in the other, I'm adamantly against it.

I do agree, however, that the nation's youth is alarmingly apathetic and that something needs to be done about it.

Why would anyone give up rights that are guaranteed to them? Why would you give up free speech that is outrageous !!

Geez, this is really scary. These are our future leaders and my classmates.

I'm scared.

quote:

Originally posted by FreeMarketLover:
Pluralism is looking pretty apealing.

only it tends to be the dumb people that vote.

Pluralism is looking pretty apealing.