At a time in history when information is so vital to finding the truth in our news and our lives, a new study is shaking the very foundation of the press and how they are viewed by students...

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According to the study, American students view the First Amendment as a second rate issue ...

As reported by the AP, when students were told of the exact text of the First Amendment, more than one in three high school students said it goes "too far"!

...Only 51% of students said newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories!!

Only a little over half...

Details: The survey of the students finds that 36% believe newspapers should get "government approval" of stories before publishing; 51% say they should be able to publish freely; 13% have no opinion...

The shocker among high schoolers, long attributed for cutting edge minds and personalities that go against the grain...

...following the beat of the drum??

Quote from AP report: "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"

The University of Connecticut conducted the study among 100,000 students...

Blogs are littering the world wide web...information flowing freely, yet the students interviewed for this study appear to be negligent in their understanding of how important the First Amendment truly is...

What's more, it's surprising for this website owner to think that so many would think that the government should edit and approve stories for newspapers to publish...

Basic freedoms fought for..great wars...dawns of centuries...time gone by. Generations too burned out to realize their freedom rests in the freedoms that were fought for long ago, and freedoms that are taken for granted...

The first amendment reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances"

Basic rights that so many seem to be forgetting as time goes on...History gets grayer--especially when it's not taught right in school. History's long journey seems to be laughed at, mocked...thoughts of our great forefathers are scoffed at.

Michael Jackson, baby...
Sex. Drugs. Rock n' Roll...

But wasn't it Rock n' Roll that helped level the tradions of accepting everything and anything at face value?? Wasn't it music that helped lead the way to question authority??

Millions voted in Iraq just two days ago...millions in America don't...It's almost sad to think of the fact that even under the dark cloud of threats from terrorists, people braved the odds, and did their newfound civic duty...proud of their new freedoms. In America, lucky if you get over 50%...

They may have had slaves, they may have not yet truly respected the rights of women...they may have had some old beliefs that didn't pass the tests of time...But these guys knew what they were doing...Give them a chance...

It worked.

And here...we have to now face a generation, or at least half of them, growing up not truly thinking about the fate of our country without the freedoms that they feel should be limited...

FILED BY BRYAN SMOLOCK

BRYAN SMOLOCK THE HORROR-REPORT MONDAY JANUARY 31 2005 10:46 PM EDT

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