Religion RIghts

I think one of the most interesting statistics from the First Amendment surveys was that of the first question. I am shocked that in 2001 only 1% of the American nation could name specific rights guaranteed for right to petition. While the number is now 6%, this is not even close to acceptable. These statistics reveal that the citizens of the United States do not even know their guaranteed rights. From the time this survey began, there has not been one category in which even 65% of people knew their rights from the First amendment. I am also surprised that only 48% of people believe that there must be a clear separation from church and state. All the statistics in general gave me the eye-opener that many Americans are not informed of their rights. In addition, I learned that many people have strong opinions for and against different views and how important religion is to people.
According to Charles C. Haynes, “the challenge for 21st-century America is not only to sustain this extraordinary arrangement, but to expand the principles of religious liberty more fairly and justly to each and every citizen.” I believe that this task is extremely difficult as we have such a diverse society in terms of religion. While this is hard, it is very significant. We must educate students about their rights and responsibilities of the First amendment, and then we endanger the future of our religious rights. Fortunately, a new model has emerged for addressing religion and religious liberty in public schools. While it is difficult to discuss, we must talk about it in order to educate others. If we do not, then we cannot blame others for what may happen in the future. I chose to examine the idea of evolution and creation on the website. This debate has been in existence for longer than a century. It has caused and continues to cause a debate in science, religion and constitutional law. While we have all learned about Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution based on scientific evidence, I did not realize how much uproar it caused. The ideas he proposed said that a man evolved from animals including apes. When a science teacher John Scopes explained the idea of evolution in a school setting, there was a court case. I believe that Scopes had every right to express the ideas. He did not pressure students, but rather presented possibilities. The Scopes trial ended without a court declaration that the Tennessee law prohibiting the teaching of evolution was unconstitutional. While this case was over 80 years ago, the debate continues. While there are still questions regarding the science and religion of our existence, there is still discussion about the First Amendment in schools. The question is whether schools should be able to teach intelligent design alongside evolution in science.  I believe it should be allowed to be taught because education is not one-sided. Exposing students to many different ideas and opinions is an important aspect to education.  

7 Days in Septemeber

The movie was extremely difficult to watch as it captured the true emotions that were felt by the New Yorkers during and after September 11, 2001. The movie was worthwhile because it showed the attacks from the perspectives of the New Yorkers, everyday people. I was deeply moved by how the people reacted to the attacks. While I was saddened by the attacks and how terrible they were, it was difficult to see how the kids reacted. While they are young, they still understood what had occured. Everyone was affected by the attacks. Everyone in  New York could have spent time solely grieving and feeling sorry for themselves. However, while they were devastated, the people of New York were proactive. They worked in order to bring about change. The attacks brought out New York's true colors, making the state more closer than ever. Everyone contributed in order to support one another. From food to batteries to health supplies, New Yorkers were not ready to give up. Although they were devastated, frightened, and angry, the people came together for a better cause. The amount of assistance captivated me because it showed how people will react in a time of desperate need. They sought support and strength from one another which made New York strong. Everyone was on the same page which is why they were so compassionate for one another. The prayers that they said were very moving. They were praying not only for themselves, but for everyone around them. Along with groups of prayer, there were groups who were organizing relief. These types of helpful groups promoted hope in a time where the future is grim. The help offered by the people was not temporary. Rather, six months later and even now, the people look out for another. I believe that if something just as terrible were to ever occur again, the recovery would be just as efficient and outstanding as it was during these attacks.  

Speech Codes

In class, we discussed speech codes in the context of both high school and college.  Several speech codes are argued to to be unconstiutional as they violate the freedom of speech. Conversely, offensive speech such as fighting words in may not be protected speech by the government. At Auburn University, individuals in fraternities dressed very offensively at party. For example, white students dressed up as members of the KKK, painted their faces black, while being 'hung'. While at the time of the party, members may not have known what they were getting themselves into, they still are at fault. They have absolutely no right to promote this type of behavior in both the school enviorment and the real world. These pictures of the students were out of line and this type of behavior is not protected by the 1st amendment. This behavior causes distress and incites violence as it it directly offensive to blacks. Therefore, their actions are parallel to what fighting words represent. These are not protected by the government. The University took appropriate measures because they withdrew their recognition of the fraternities involved. They launched a full investigation of the harrasment and discrimination policies because these pictures are ubsurd. The pictures and the party in general should not be taken lightly. It is clear that it is being investigated seriously from Auburn and the world in general. I believe this is important because by not punishing the students, Auburn is practically condoning the behavior. Since they are taking measures, the investigation can be applied to more cases in the world. The debate of resrictions on speech is prevalant, but there is no doubt that disciplinary actions must be taken to the students involved.