High School: Civil Liberties not included
If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Since teenagers clearly don’t have the mental ability to make decisions on their own, or form opinions about the world, two north side (naturally) schools are legislating what is appropriate student behavior.
Given my previous post on adult overreaction to MySpace, you can imagine my surprise when I was watching Fox News last night after a dismal 24 season finale, and saw my alma mater name-dropped. Now, Libertyville is totally the kind of place that legislates just because it has nothing better to do – I know this because I received TWO tickets when I was 16 for underage smoking while I was walking to school. Talk about nothing better to do. So this is incredibly not surprising – what’s your take?
Just a short SUV drive away, Arlington Heights is considering banning books because they talk about *gasp* abortion, guns, and sexuality. At what point are we supposed to learn about these things? High school seems like a pretty good time – especially for sexuality and abortion. Again – your take?
I just wrote about this this morning.. I feel sorry for the students.
The best line in the article is “It’s called `MySpace’ for a reason, not `What-I-do-at-school Space,'” said Katy Bauschke, 18, a senior at Libertyville.”
America’s teens have always had far more sense than their parents give them credit for.
I also find it amusing, and not very surprising, that the lady that wants to ban books admits to never having read the books she wants to ban. What a fucking idiot.
I wrote about both of these events as well. I agree that the Blogging regulations are ridiculous. I wonder how many perverts will be volunteering to be the Blogging Patrol.
As far as the books go, if the content of some of these books were a movie, these same kids would not be allowed in. These books should not be required reading. If they want them to be voluntary in the library, ok, but not required by all.
There are many places to find book reviews, just like there are movie reviews. As a parent, I check the reviews for content to decide if they are appropriate for my kids. You can do the same for books without reading them. The board member is correct on this one.
As a show of solidarity with Elmhurst High students, I sugest anyone that thinks the school board has gone too far create a MySpace page of their own, and tag yourself as an Elmhurst student, so when they go a’ searchin’ for delinqunet teens their search bogs down in millions of fake MySpace pages.
First, I love reading your posts.
Second, I completely agree with you as far as the school districts over stepping their boundaries by using kids’ own personal sites against them. but really, that kid was an idiot for even mentioning columbine in that sort of way. schools will brush things off unless something reminds them of their worst nightmare. then, protection under the constitution no longer exists for students, and they’re at the mercy of a machine that does everything in its power to squish those who pipe up to defend themselves.
sorry, i just realized i commented on the wrong post. i meant the one about the kid and his xanga.