A recent article on cnn.com
http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/01/31/students.amendment.ap/index.html
has some alarming revelations. For those not wanting to read it all, I'll give a quick summary.
**********
"when told of the exact text of the First Amendment, more than one in three high school students said it goes "too far" in the rights it guarantees. Only half of the students said newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories."
"When asked whether people should be allowed to express unpopular views, 97 percent of teachers and 99 percent of school principals said yes. Only 83 percent of students did."
"Three in four students said flag burning is illegal. It's not. About half the students said the government can restrict any indecent material on the Internet. It can't."
**********
So, why is today's youth so ignorant about our rights and what the government can do? Why does today's youth have no expectation of privacy from the government? I'll tell you why I think this is happening!
Previous generations were raised with a certain expectation of privacy. Yes, my mother always wanted to know where I was going, with who, and what we were going to be doing. However, beginning with the Columbine massacre, the lives of our youth has changed.
Parents are regularly encouraged to search their childrens bedrooms. Parents are encouraged to listen in on phone calls and read through email history. Parents are encouraged to spy on their kid's activities.
People, how can we expect our children to have any sense of privacy or freedom if we are constantly teaching them otherwise? If we think Jonny has a Playboy or think Missy may have started smoking, we search their rooms, tap their phones, and comb through their personal emails.
Perhaps instead of such an invasion or privacy, we should consider why our discussions with them may not have worked. Perhaps it's time for another discussion. If you raise your children to think they are untrustworthy individuals who need their privacy imposed upon on a regular basis, how can we expect them to uphold our right to privacy when it's voting time?
There's a line between a responsible parent and a micromanaging control freak. It's not even a fine line, but a very large line. If a parent finds something like marijuana in their kids pants while doing laundry, then a room search is justified. But honestly, how can we justify random spot checks and privacy invasions?
So, when your 60 and it's illegal to own a gun, your phone lines are tapped and monitored, email is passed through a government filter, your mail is being opened, and you have to have a track beacon implanted into your skin, remember that time you invaded your kid's privacy. Remember those days of protecting Jonny and Missy by being a "good parent" by performing random searches and communication monitors. Remember that defeated look in their eyes while you rummage through their most sacred and personal belongings and correspondence because you'll see that look in their eyes everytime they go to the polls.
Yes, I will always know where my child is and with whom. Yes, I will keep them from access inappropriate information on the internet and television. Yes, I will teach them why and not just give them the "I said so" excuse. And if I abslutely must, I may perform a room search if the evidence says I need to. Whoever, I will not micromanage their life. I will not impose on their privacy. I will not spy on them. Yes, it's your house, your phone, you have the right to do it. Go ahead, it's legal. But do not come screaming to me when you can't buy a Swiss Army knife without registering it. Don't complain to me when the government monitors your location "for your safety".
