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Opinion
 

Staff Editorial

                            Matt Dulin                             Tony Hernandez 
                Jim Parsons             Dusti Rhodes           Blake Whitaker

First Amendment lost on some of America's youth

A study of high school students' opinions on the First Amendment released Monday should have any Constitution-loving American shaking in his or her boots.

Of the more than 100,000 students interviewed in the University of Connecticut study, one-third thinks the First Amendment "goes too far" in protecting rights to free expression and religion. Only 83 percent of high school students thought it was important for people to be allowed to express unpopular views.

Students also lacked an understanding of the government's boundaries with respect to free speech. Most students didn't know that flag burning was legal or that the government simply can't restrict any indecent material on the Internet.

The First Amendment is probably the most important doctrine of American politics and culture; it guarantees rights to free speech, religion, press and assembly. As a hallmark of our democracy, it empowers the public and protects it from government oppression. Though it's also a source of controversy, the amendment is, at heart, bipartisan, giving no preference to party or idea. 

Somehow, all this is increasingly lost among America's youth -- tomorrow's lawmakers and leaders. It's unclear who's to blame -- it's easy to pick on America's public education system. 

The report draws a connection between journalism education and awareness of First Amendment rights, suggesting that the decline of student media in high schools (with one in five schools not offering any media outlet and 40 percent cutting programs in the last five years) fails the students. 

Schools need to rededicate themselves to civics education, teaching all parts of the Constitution and instilling a sense of what makes our society American. If our education system has any responsibilities, the first is to form responsible citizens who know the importance of the First Amendment.