In 1787 our forefathers ratified the constitution of the United
States of America, which contains the most important document to
any American citizen, the Bill of Rights. The first amendment of the
Bill of Rights states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the establishment 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.
these freedoms (commonly called the freedom of expression) are of
the most important rights in a truly democratic society. Without
them there would be no new ideas; we would all conform under
totalitarian rule for fear of punishment. However, when I, a common
student at West Rowan High School try to express my feelings on 'the
state of the Bill of Rights in schools today' by making a computer
presentation in multimedia class, my work is declared 'bad' and my
teacher and assistant principal do one of the most un-American things
imaginable: they censored it.
U.S. Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. (LO...
The Newseum's Five (5) freedoms guaranteed by the ...
Freedom of Speech (painting)I had to re-make the presentation and
lighten the harsh tone, and also erase the anarchy symbol from it. The
teacher said that she was worried about me for reasons such as my
feelings on the freedom of religion were almost satanic, because I said
teachers should not be able to publicly practice religion in schools
because it will encourage students to become a part of that religion.
The presentation was neither slanderous nor obscene, but it did
criticize teachers and administrators calling them 'fascist dictators'.
At first I was angry at the school because I could wear clothing that
was obscene or contained liquor advertisements, now they have
completely taken away my freedom of speech. This of course proved
my argument that teachers and...