[Poser]

Well duh! This is news? Hodding Carter needs to find something better to do.

[CSM]

Seems consistent with the Press' interpretation of the 1st and the liberal interpretation of the 2nd.

[Jokelahoma]

Only 32%? Man, the NEA still has alot of work to do, getting that leftist message out!

[MadAnthony1776]

"It suggests that First Amendment values can be taught."

Taught by who? If taught by someone with liberal values you could end up with them believing freedom of speech is allowed only if you agree with what I do. If not, then it is hate speech or racist or whatever, depending on the subject matter.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

...guaranteeing citizens the freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and the right to petition the government.

I have to take exception at this statement. We The People already have these rights. The First Amendment states that governments do not have the right to infringe on or legislate these rights away from us.

The Constitution is a document that delineates powers the government has and does not have with respect to a number of rights that are endowed to us by the Creator. That among these are (but not limited to) Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

[JustAnotherSavage]

"17 percent said people should not be allowed to express unpopular opinions."

That sad opinion is also held by too many adults.

[prion]

These data keep coming up, and I'm not sure how to interpret them. Maybe it's politically corect kids wanting to prohibit un-PC speech. But maybe it's not-so-politically correct kids annoyed that the media don't control themselves better. It's not good news, but I can't quite make up my mind how bad it is.

[Publius Valerius]

Half of the students wrongly thought that the government can censor the Internet

Wrongly? I don't know about that...The Nuremberg Files comes to mind.

[Born Conservative]

[Labyrinthos]

American high school students lack knowledge and understanding of the First Amendment, a study released yesterday suggests.

I don't know which is worse: The study or the article about the study. Nothing in the article indicates that the students lack knowledge or understanding of the First Amendment, although I don't dicount that possibility. What the article indicates that a percentage of high school students disagree with the extent of First Amendment protections as defined by the SCOTUS over the years. In other words, they may understand, but simply disagree.

Half of the students wrongly thought that the government can censor the Internet.

The Government can and does censor the Internet. Want proof: Publish a website that contains top secret classified information or offers for sale a guaranteed cure for AIDs or cancer, and I guarantee the government will shut the website down.