NJ Catholic Students Forced to Delete Blog Posting
This just in from WAYNE PARRY, Associated Press Writer, Thu Oct 27, 9:18 AM ET: NEWARK, N.J. - Students at Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta appear to be heeding a directive from the principal, the Rev. Kieran McHugh, to remove personal postings about the school or themselves from Web sites like myspace.com or xanga.com, even if they were posted from the students’ home computers.
Officials with the Diocese of Paterson say the directive is a matter of safety, not censorship. But constitutional experts say the case raises interesting questions about the intersection of free speech and voluntary agreements with private institutions.
My Two Cents: This is where we are going wrong with our kids and have for centuries. "Ban them from action, straightaway!", rather than teach with love and high amount of family involvement in the child’s life. Which do you think kids would react to better? The ACLU has an opinion:
Kurt Opsahl, a staff attorney at the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation, which champions the rights of bloggers, said there have been several attempts nationwide by private institutions to restrict or censor students’ Internet postings.
"But this is the first time we’ve heard of such an overreaction," he said. "It would be better if they taught students what they should and shouldn’t do online rather than take away the primary communication tool of their generation."
More spare change: I’ll extend that and say "teach them what to do and WHY" - the Why is so often left out and children are told "mind me!" without the reason they should mind. Such exercise of authority is destined to spark rebelliousness, even in the most placid teen. Trips to the morgue are being resorted to now with regard to teenage drunk driving - and with reason. After one of these court-ordered trips, kids rarely drink and drive again.
I wonder what generous amounts of communication, love and trust would get the diocese? Isn’t that what Jesus was all about? Love and trust - what a concept…
More: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051027/ap_on_hi_te/catholic_school_internet
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