Freedom of Religion Response

When reviewing the First Amendment Survey, I cannot say that I was surprised that when asked which part of the First Amendment was most recognizable, people most commonly voted freedom of speech. However, I did find it somewhat interesting that the least recognizable was the right to petition simply because it becomes so relevant when protesting, gathering a group, or fighting an issue. The survey was one that I found informative and also intriguing because it brought up questions that may not be directly related when talking about the First Amendment because they brought up issues such as religion in schools, seperation of church and state, and even going as far to ask whether or not corporations and businesses have the same free speech as independent citizens.
I then went on to research teaching religion in schools and read the article titled, Revising History: What happens in Texas won't stay in Texas. It spoke about the recent debate in the Texas curriculum about what can or cannot be taught in social studies classes around the state. The fight is mainly about whether or not the presence of Protestant Christianity should be included when speaking about our countries founding. I must say, I have to agree with the decision to keep religious views outside of the educational system. I feel that in some ways, inviting religion into class discussions opens the floor for more religious than factual based arguements or discussions. A simple conversation about science could suddenly take a turn for the creation of the universe, which then in many ways pulls the entire context of the original conversation out of the equation. In this day and age there are far too many religions, religious beliefs, and lack of religious beliefs to impliment a sound and respectful religious system within the educational enviornment.

7 Days in September Response

I really enjoyed the movie that we viewed in class about the events that took place during the week on Spetember 11th, 2001. The part of the movie that I felt was the most impactful was the raw footage that made up the majority of the movie. We have all seen the images of the towers falling and the same clips over and over again, but this documentary shed a different light on the tradegy as well as the days that followed. I appreciated the different viewpoints that we got to experience because in many ways, it made the event that much more real and relateable.
I remember Spetember 11th, but not well enough to recount exactly what I thought. I know that after a day or two, the incident didn't seem real cause we were hundreds of miles away in Chicago. The movie brought everyone into the center of the horrific experience. You saw the towers fall from a block away, you passed the people covered in debrise on the street, you watched as firefighters and policemen passed you on the street to head towards ground zero. It wasn't just some event in New York anymore, I felt like the entire thing was much more real than I had ever known before.

Speech Codes

Americans have become accustomed to the ability to say pretty much whatever they want about any given topic. Free speech is rarely given a second thought when a citizen chooses to bash the government, or disagree with a president, or protest a national issue. It has become more and more apparent throughout the years that Free Speech is something the American people have taken hold of. Many even say that the new generations have an obligation to be the voice of the nation, but how is that possible when speech is censored or punished? And if there are perameters on speech, how close to the border is too close?
We recently read about a fraternity on the Auburn university campus who demonstrated what seemed to be their right to free speech. They dressed as blacks, painted their faces black, and were doing a number of demonstrations that made people well aware of their dislike or seeming disgust for the opposing race. These actions once again raises the question, how far is too far? The students were demonstrating their right to free speech. They were portraying their views and opinions in a public setting, the same type of rights that are listed in the Constitution as a right given to citizens of the United States. So what's wrong with the picture? Free speech is a given right that should be used to educate, inform, challenge, and publicize ideas. However, when those who are demonstrating the free speech are acting in a way that is both juvenile and unnecessary, there needs to be a line drawn. There is a huge difference between a gathering of people that have collectively decided to speak about their dislike for blacks or their views on balcks and blatently offending another person for something they had no say in.
Free speech is a privelage, one that the country has worked hard to maintain and place in perameters as to ensure that the whole country is comfortable and safe when it comes to the disputes that may arise around the United States. Some people, like those involved in the fraternity scandal at Auburn, have now taken their free speech rights for granted. They intentionally and knowingly made classmates and people around the country uncomfortable and painfully aware of the prejudice that is still in the world. Free speech is accepted and even encouraged when the content, format, and discussion topics are intellegent and well delivered. An immature display of linching a boy who was wearing black face is the furthest thing from intellegent I have ever seen. Free speech is an amazing privelage and tool when used correctly.
With all of this said, however, I do not feel as though students shoudl surrender their First Amendment right the second they step on a university campus. School, in particular, should be a forum for discussions and arguements that further educate students on the multiple interpretation of any given issue. There should be a wide acceptance of opinions and viewpoints to further the education of generations that are slowly going to become the forefront of our nation. There should be this freedom, but with the ability of the school to stop any type of speech that goes beyond comfortable and respectful and takes a turn for violent and innapropriate. Speech codes in some sense are effective ways to ensure the safety and comfort of students at school, while still maintaining the ability for student voices to be heard.