MetalMilitia
Feb 2nd, 2005, 7:24 AM
The latest thing to shock me didn't come from the Bush administration, or even a politically motivated meglomaniacal mad man - It came from a highschool survey.
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Read it and understand it.
If you want to see how far along the nation has come in decline, I think it's important to get the youth - or the next generations opinion. Why? They will be running the world (should Bush not kill us - insert laugh) in the coming few decades, and after reading a report like this - I'm more than worried about their mindset.
The survey came from Netscape News (http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-1110&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20050201%2F1433815518.htm&sc=1110) - I'm actually quite suprised how under the radar it flew. About a third of school kids surveyed think the US government should restrict or censor print and other types of media, news and commentary. They have apparently been brainwashed - for lack of a better term - to think that freedom of the press and free speech carry bad things with them - and should be stopped. Either that or they are slowly being informed that the sources of independent media are unreliable, or otherwise deemed "radical thinking." Somehow they are getting a negative impression of the 1st Amendment. It's not small survey either. Participating was over 100,000 students, 8000 school teachers, and 500+ principals from more than 540 schools across the country.
http://img100.exs.cx/img100/5394/20050131nyet2531lb.jpg
(AP Graphic)
"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."
Read that again.
Even more scary was this : "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."
They don't "know enough" by the time they are in highschool to make an informed decision on the first amendment? What the hell are we teaching these kids about it then? Where are the teachers to point out all that the first amendment represents? Censored government controlled media is a good thing? What did we get last time we were spoon-fed government media propaganda? Oh Yeah, that Iraq deal. That's what happens with no dissenting voice... "here comes the propaganda... open wide..."
"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.
Does anyone else find this disturbing to say the least? Not only do highschool age kids apparently, not know what it's about, it's not even a high priority. The Bill of Rights, and the Constitution... not a high priority... for... Americans.... in American schools...
With no independent voice and freedom of speech in this country, would the Iraq lies, WMD's, possible election fraud, and prisoner torture ever have been brought up? Nothing to see here, move along citizen! Why don't I just say it - "Welcome to the Machine". The media and Bush administration have removed the word credibility from the media dictionary and now the next generation of Americans don't find the 1st amendment "all that important."
/me turns on the theme from the twilight zone
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
Read it and understand it.
If you want to see how far along the nation has come in decline, I think it's important to get the youth - or the next generations opinion. Why? They will be running the world (should Bush not kill us - insert laugh) in the coming few decades, and after reading a report like this - I'm more than worried about their mindset.
The survey came from Netscape News (http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/story.jsp?floc=FF-APO-1110&idq=/ff/story/0001%2F20050201%2F1433815518.htm&sc=1110) - I'm actually quite suprised how under the radar it flew. About a third of school kids surveyed think the US government should restrict or censor print and other types of media, news and commentary. They have apparently been brainwashed - for lack of a better term - to think that freedom of the press and free speech carry bad things with them - and should be stopped. Either that or they are slowly being informed that the sources of independent media are unreliable, or otherwise deemed "radical thinking." Somehow they are getting a negative impression of the 1st Amendment. It's not small survey either. Participating was over 100,000 students, 8000 school teachers, and 500+ principals from more than 540 schools across the country.
http://img100.exs.cx/img100/5394/20050131nyet2531lb.jpg
(AP Graphic)
"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."
Read that again.
Even more scary was this : "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."
They don't "know enough" by the time they are in highschool to make an informed decision on the first amendment? What the hell are we teaching these kids about it then? Where are the teachers to point out all that the first amendment represents? Censored government controlled media is a good thing? What did we get last time we were spoon-fed government media propaganda? Oh Yeah, that Iraq deal. That's what happens with no dissenting voice... "here comes the propaganda... open wide..."
"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.
Does anyone else find this disturbing to say the least? Not only do highschool age kids apparently, not know what it's about, it's not even a high priority. The Bill of Rights, and the Constitution... not a high priority... for... Americans.... in American schools...
With no independent voice and freedom of speech in this country, would the Iraq lies, WMD's, possible election fraud, and prisoner torture ever have been brought up? Nothing to see here, move along citizen! Why don't I just say it - "Welcome to the Machine". The media and Bush administration have removed the word credibility from the media dictionary and now the next generation of Americans don't find the 1st amendment "all that important."
/me turns on the theme from the twilight zone