Bloomington North's Janna Brancolini wins IHSPA's Journalist of the Year for 2005.

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Students exposed to journalism
appreciate First Amendment

By Janna Brancolini, Bloomington North High School

I recently read one of the most disturbing things ever.

According to a 2004 study, 50 percent of high school students think that the government should censor newspapers and 83 percent think that only majority opinions should be expressed. In short, 75 percent of the students interviewed “don’t know how they feel” about the First Amendment.

The First Amendment states that “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.”

The survey, conducted by researches at the University of Connecticut, included more than 100,000 students at 544 public and private high schools across the country.

These findings aren’t just sick; they’re stupid. A third of the students surveyed thought the First Amendment “goes too far” in the rights it guarantees Americans. Do they realize that this is what America was founded on? How can you pretend to be a patriot if you don't support the single greatest thing about America?

I know it’s rude and offensive to say that 33,000 high school students are stupid, but honestly, their ignorance offends me.

These people are completely capable of ruining my life in the next 10 or 20 years. The USA Patriot Act is already blatantly trampling American rights, and I would like to keep the First Amendment—even if we’ve basically done away with the Fourth and Fifth.

I have absolutely no doubt that if the majority of the country does not fight for its right to do more than just party, we’re going to be in a whole lot of trouble.

The study’s findings don’t instill me with confidence, however, that my generation is able or willing to fight the good fight.

I also wonder who is to blame for the results of this study. Is it the American education system’s fault? Is it the apathetic nature of teenagers who just want to get out of high school? Is it the teachers who refuse to address these important topics in class?

At my high school, I constantly listen to people who think that Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9-11 or that big business tax cuts will benefit education financing. The amount of ignorance in high schools is unbelievable, and My Man Mitch sure isn’t helping the situation in Indiana with his $26 million education spending cuts.

My Man Mitch? Yeah, right. Thanks for nothing, Mitch.

It’s no secret that public schools don’t receive enough financial support, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that students are uneducated about something as elementary and basic as the First Amendment to the Constitution.

The survey also found that 97 percent of the 8,000 teachers interviewed think that people should be able to express unpopular beliefs, but these views don’t seem to get handed down in the classroom.

Although teachers are not supposed to force their beliefs on students, the right to free speech is not an opinion. It is a legal fact in this country, and I do not understand why so many students are not exposed to it.

Students enrolled in journalism classes are much more likely to support freedom of expression, but unfortunately 20 percent of schools surveyed do not offer these courses, according to the survey.

I don’t know if schools need more money, teachers need to teach, or students need more passion. I do know, though, that I hope this problem alleviates itself in the near future—the well-being of the country depends on it.



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