Censorship children
Thirty-six percent of American high school students believe that the media has too much freedom and should be screened by the government before going to press. This figure represents the most troubling facet of the trend I touched on last week: the growing attraction toward censorship. More than one in three students fail to recognize the intent of the First Amendment and the protection the press affords. Granted, teenagers aren't exactly the most wise or experienced demographic (when I was their age, I thought communism was a good idea and pleather pants looked fantastic), so they are not to be held fully responsible for their horribly skewed perception of freedom. They are quick to band together against the establishment when freedom of expression is threatened, but so many are now calling for a nasty concept known as prior restraint. Why? Because children learn by example.
