First for a reason

Protesters gathered at the Sample Gates the day after elections in Iraq; many against the war and others for it. The words weren't pretty or pleasant, but no one got hurt. \n The First Amendment of the Constitution gives citizens an avenue to disagree peacefully. In the United States we can speak our minds without fear of being silenced by the government or our fellow citizens.\nElections have taken place overseas in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and Ukraine, and more people have a voice. Every person has something to say, but not every government allows its people to speak. In the United States, we can speak against our government or each other, a freedom that would not exist without the Constitution's First Amendment. We must guard that right vigilantly.\nVast numbers of Americans have died to protect our rights, but newer generations may be taking these freedoms for granted. A study conducted by the University of Connecticut suggests that high school students don't see the amendment as a big deal. About one third of students said the First Amendment goes "too far" in extending the rights of citizens. Only 83 percent of students, compared to almost 100 percent of teachers and principals, think it's OK to express unpopular views. \nWhy would 20 percent of high school students believe it's not acceptable to disagree? They have confused the government with America and the minority with threats to their way of life. The students' ignorance is the threat to our free way of life. \nThe survey suggests that students are more likely to appreciate their rights if given the opportunity to practice them through student media such as school newspapers and radio stations. It's shameful and dangerous that such opportunities are becoming scarcer. \nForty percent of high schools that lack student media opportunities have eliminated them within the last five years. About 20 percent of schools have no student media. Budget pressure is always an issue, but understanding fundamental American rights should be a priority in schools.\nSchools need to make sure students are taught the importance of the civil liberties that set America apart from the rest of the world. Students can always stand to learn more about American history, but the First Amendment and its impact on our way of life should be emphasized. \nThe amendment guaranteeing free speech is first for a reason. Without the First Amendment we would be left unarmed to defend other rights, from due process, to owning guns, and from voting to drinking alcohol. A democratic government cannot function without free speech.\nStudents must be taught the First Amendment's importance early and often. Words are our best tool to debate issues and make decisions. The freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition are the foundation of America. New democracies are looking to us for an example of how to exercise freedom. Some countries use violence to resolve controversy; here we use speech. Without a strong commitment to the First Amendment, scenes like the recent war protest at the Sample Gates might be shoot-outs instead of shouting matches.