Comments | rhapsody_dragon: For those interested in free speech in schools~

rhapsody_dragon

For those interested in free speech in schools~

May 08, 2007 13:53

I wrote this essay because of an incident that happened at my high school last year. It's not quite finished yet but I'mma post it. It involves the censorship of high school newspapers. I found it really interesting... but my essay is really long so I doubt people will read it all. xD

( First Amendment rights are not shed at the schoolhouse gates )

Comments 6

guardian_kysra May 8 2007, 20:10:42 UTC

I wish I had a highlighter XD ( ... )

rhapsody_dragon May 9 2007, 03:32:12 UTC

zomg~ Thanks so much for the concrit~ I presented it to my peer groups and while they commented... it wasn't in as much detail as I would have liked. So the more the better~

I know since I'm close to the issue, it's harder to see how clear the argument is presented with opposing sides, etc. :S So yes, thank you!

Now that the concrit is over guardian_kysra May 8 2007, 20:16:23 UTC

Dayum. Ok, I dunno what the heck the principal was thinking but threatening LEGAL action? WTF???? That is going WAY overboard.

Was he a veteran by any chance?

Because it's not like we don't see people of other nations BURNING our flag on the news or whatever; how sensitive and impressionable does he think kids are today?

I understand what he's saying about some maybe taking offense, but CRIPES it's not only a free speech issue, it's an artistic freedom issue as well.

And if it was REALLY that bothersome to him, he had the option of telling the Newspaper to choose another, more appropriate photo, not freezing funds or threatening legal action.

Jeez.

Re: Now that the concrit is over rhapsody_dragon May 9 2007, 03:37:25 UTC

The ironic part is the principal used to be a newspaper advisor... I don't believe he was a veteran. He's fairly young, and never mentioned it anywhere.

And even so, the exact same image was hanging in the halls advertising the play. So.. all the students and anyone in the theater hallway say the image already. It wasn't anything new.

But the paper gave him a heads up anyway, and he flipped out on them. He yelled at the editor-in-chief so much, the poor thing was in tears... and he threatened the advisor's job, froze the accounts... completely blew it out of proportion. :X It was handled very poorly.

We've had a bit of history between us about sensitive topics... so that might have spurred the furiousity. :S I dunno. xD I couldn't help them. :(

obseletevulture May 8 2007, 23:20:34 UTC

I'll put in my two cents ( ... )

rhapsody_dragon May 9 2007, 03:48:02 UTC

Mmmz, the school's policy states they are not allowed prior review or censorship of the paper. So they violated their own policy. And in the paper's mission statement (which I wrote myself :P) it's stated the views and ideas in the paper are soley ownership of the paper and it's writers--not the school. Point that out to the angry person and they can direct their offense to us. I didn't mention that in my essay, though. But that deals with the public forum idea ( ... )