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THIS IS ARCHIVED CONTENT FOR HISTORICAL REFERENCE ONLY FIRST VOICES Landmark First Amendment Research Ball State’s First Amendment institute has launched a landmark research project with 5,000 high school principals nationwide. J-Ideas, a 5-year-old effort to support student journalism and First Amendment awareness, is reaching out to 5,000 principals to gauge their knowledge level and support for the First Amendment of the Constitution. The research coincides with Sunshine Week, a national effort to support Freedom of Information, an important principle of the First Amendment. <more> -Ignoramcer in Palin, Dowd free-speech remarks -Plainfield pays respect to First Amendment -Author creates First Amendment 'primer' -New President must revive Constitution -Traditional news misses Edwards escapade -Protesters' rights fenced off -Bad year for traditional news gatherers -Baseball and the First Amendment -Principals and the First Amendment -Thoughts from the annual U.S. editors convention -Need for print journalism remains -The First Amendment at the Alamo -Author creates First Amendment 'primer' -Unlikely First Amendment hero -Harrison represented Hoosiers proudly -Online course wraps for the fall -Blogs grow in influence, but beware of anonymity -Parent rides the bench after blog posting -Student journalist's actions serves profession poorly -Remembering the courageous Elijah Parish Lovejoy -First Amendment protects unpopular speech, too Student journalists scoop professional press
Mile high with the First Amendment... We were north of the Mile High City near the Rocky Mountains. The principals were voluntarily descending—not from the tall peaks but from their position abutting the summit of school hierarchy. When they reached level ground, we could see each other more clearly. And clear sight leads to insight. <more > |
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Warren Watson First Thoughts submission Feb. 7, 2009 Campus free-speech thrives While reading Thursday's edition of The Ball State Daily News, the campus student newspaper, I was reminded once again that the First Amendment protects unpopular speech, not just popular speech. Our Revolutionary fathers knew that all too well. They had just cast off an unpopular king when they created the Bill of Rights in 1791. They knew that a democracy could only grow and evolve if all viewpoints were respected and tolerated. Some of my colleagues -- and many on campus -- questioned the decision made by the paper's student editors to write and display prominently on the front page a story about a new student organization called Kinky Cardinals, which hopes to promote the safe practice and awareness of BDSM, to many defined as kinky sex. The group is small and by all accounts one quite willing to get along with others who have differing views. Members are not pushy. The campus paper, supporting tolerance of the new group, commented in an editorial: "Open-mindedness and tolerance are key to college campuses that try to promote diversity." Spoken like true Founding Fathers. There is free speech with which I disagree, but I would defend the rights of speakers to say what's on their minds. Flag burning is one, for example. Personally, I find the practice detestible. But again, it is by a law a form of protected political protest. We should defend anyone's right to speak about practices and viewpoints that might be unpopular. It is the American way after all. In the same issue of the student paper, editors carried a story about the demise of a risque web site called JuicyCampus, which became infamous in the last year for its caustic and sometimes exploitative and sophomoric posts. One student leader said the site "tore apart" the Ball State community. While many student leaders applauded the revenue-related closure of the fledgling business, I had to recall the First Amendment again -- and that idea that Americans have a deeply ingrained right to free speech, even if it is stupid and irresponsible.
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