Like many who teach college, I often find myself asking, "What in the hell are they teaching kids in high school?" So often there seem to be large gaps in the understanding of history and many other subjects that the view one gets of elementary and secondary education can only make one shudder about what happens when younger generations take over. That's the reaction to the
new survey showing that large numbers of high school students think that press freedoms should be curtailed. While these kids support freedom of expression for musicians and artists, they are less generous with the press, and frightening numbers believe that the government should have the right to approve/reject news articles. Are the times so fraught with fear that young people growing up under today's rhetoric are as unthinking and uncritical of power as the stone-throwing villagers in "The Lottery." For now, I guess I'll have to take solace in my department chairman's observation that, while one in three feel the press has too much freedom and should have to get government approval before publishing, 51% don't think that's a good idea. First Amendment awareness and support isn't a lost cause, but it needs nurturing. Let's hope this study will produce more than the usual round of "look how dumb our kids are" ; adults are there to correct that. Let's see who answers the call for
First Amendment and civics education.
