Help Save the Youth of America

Billy Bragg felt America's youth needed help during the Reagan years. They still need some help. Do you notice that pattern of Republicans being in office?

A recent survey of high school students done by USA Today on the effects of learning about the Constitution, and specifically the First Ammendment, which guarantees that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridg[e] 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," finds some pretty scary results. Well, scary if you value the right to free speech (or free blogging).

The study finds that 45% of students, up from 35% in last years survey, feel the First Ammendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees. We're not talking about much here kids, simply the right to free speech and assembly. Is this really that much a problem? The survey also reports that 30% of students think the press has too much freedom and it also finds that only 54% of students think the press should publish without government approval. Yikes! This is practically Orwellian. The scary part is that this last category is actually up from 51% last year. Boys and girls, do we really want to crush these freedoms and censure the press. Isn't this the same nation fighting for democracy in Iraq?

Only 69% of these students feel that musicians should be able to sing songs that others finds offensive. I'm not much of a fan of the Dixie Chicks music, but let's leave these poor girls alone. The only consolation from the survey- and it's not a big one- is that the number of high school students that feel their high school papers should be able to report on controversial topics without consent from school authorities has increased form 58% to 64%. I'd call that progress, but there is still along way to go. There was a time not that long ago when students were actually progressive and fought for their rights. Is this really the type of world that American youth want to live in?

Bragg realized America's youth needed help in the eighties. They still need help.

Help save the youth of America
Help save them from themselves
Help save the sun-tanned surfer boys
And the Californian girls


If anyone is interested, the article can be found here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2006-09-17-amendments_x.htm