Argumentative Essay On The First Amendment
Americans are ingrained with the idea that they have complete freedom in this democratic society. In support of this unlimited liberty, they often cite the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution, which 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 United States Constitution"). Despite its general popularity, this amendment has come under Supreme Court scrutiny around 7000 times in the 223 years that the Bill of Rights has been in force (“Oyez Cases by Issue-First Amendment).
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As Kopenhaver and Martinson had found through their 1992 survey on Floridian school superintendents and investigations of earlier research, "schools have little if any effect on teaching of the democratic creed or political values in general.... students cannot learn the norms of democracy because the school is not a democratic place" (Kopenhaver and Martinson). The severity of this statement is supported by more recent evidence in a 2005 article by The Washington Times, titled “Students fail the First Amendment”. The article discusses the results of a study which found that many American students lack knowledge and understanding of the First Amendment, stating that more than one-third of high school students felt that the amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees. In addition, in a survey of 112,003 students, 32% said that they felt that the press has too much freedom, and 17% said that people should not be able to unpopular opinions (Baillot). If so many students do not support the freedoms that provide a basis for the American government, then the restriction of the First Amendment for students is a very serious crime indeed, because it is forming a generation of indifferent citizens and future law-makers who do not understand the importance of these rights. As Mike Maidenberg, vice president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation which conducted the 2005 survey, said, "If there is not a future to the First Amendment, then this is a very different kind of country"
As Kopenhaver and Martinson had found through their 1992 survey on Floridian school superintendents and investigations of earlier research, "schools have little if any effect on teaching of the democratic creed or political values in general.... students cannot learn the norms of democracy because the school is not a democratic place" (Kopenhaver and Martinson). The severity of this statement is supported by more recent evidence in a 2005 article by The Washington Times, titled “Students fail the First Amendment”. The article discusses the results of a study which found that many American students lack knowledge and understanding of the First Amendment, stating that more than one-third of high school students felt that the amendment goes too far in the rights it guarantees. In addition, in a survey of 112,003 students, 32% said that they felt that the press has too much freedom, and 17% said that people should not be able to unpopular opinions (Baillot). If so many students do not support the freedoms that provide a basis for the American government, then the restriction of the First Amendment for students is a very serious crime indeed, because it is forming a generation of indifferent citizens and future law-makers who do not understand the importance of these rights. As Mike Maidenberg, vice president of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation which conducted the 2005 survey, said, "If there is not a future to the First Amendment, then this is a very different kind of country"