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.
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.
Interesting comments...
Interesting possibilities.
Maybe students see school as an example of government control. In schools, students lose many rights that aren't politically correct. They may not be allowed to speak out against, for instance, (whatever the name is for) homosexuality-acceptance week, while homosexual students are allowed to speak out against regular students all the time and can prevent a "straight"-acceptance week.
Perhaps the students are simply recognizing the way our government works, or perhaps the students realize it might not always be a good idea to let our enemies say/publish anything they like here. Despite the guarantees of the 1st amendment, government may still infrige upon these rights (such as freedom of speech) during war.