Freedom of Religion

Religion is an important aspect of our society and should be discussed in school. There was much dispute over whether the words "under God" should be included in the Pledge of Allegiance. I think that it definitely should remain in the pledge but if a student doesn't feel comfortable saying those words they don't need to. It is unrealistic to think that children are never going to hear about other religions . Furthermore, it is even more important to educate them and allow them to make these choices now. We cannot change something every time that someone is unhappy. The majority of people are fine with the pledge so there is no reason to change it.
This is similar to the dispute over the location of the proposed Mosque/ Islamic Center. The Mosque/ Islamic Center is two blocks away from Ground Zero in New York. Most agree that the have the right to build the Mosque and Islamic Center but many feel that it is not an appropriate place for such a building. Many Americans think of the Muslim extremists as a representation of the religion as a whole. I believe that they shouldn't build the Mosque simply because it will cause much controversy and they would probably have more support if it wasn't so close to Ground Zero. I understand that the Mosque wouldn't be seen from Ground Zero but  unfortunately the project may become more trouble than its worth.

When people are emotionally connected to a situation it becomes the most difficult to allow for others freedom of speech. In this case, they definitely have the right to build the Mosque under  the First Amendment but those personally affected by 9/11 will not feel the same way.

7 Days in September

7 Days in September is a documentary about September 11th. The one portion of the film that shocked me the most was the overwhelming support that the New York community displayed. Everyone wanted to help in any way that they could. I never would have expected the compassion and community from a big city like New York but it was refreshing and heart warming to see. I wish that it didn't have to come down to having a crisis to see this sense of community. I'm sure that The United States will never forget September 11th and we have become a stronger country because of it.

Speech Codes on Campus

It is crucial for colleges to enforce speech codes on campus. Speech codes are colleges’ way of preventing discrimination and harassment on campus. Many student may argue that they are loosing some of their freedom of speech from these codes, but because it is at a university those rights aren’t always guaranteed. It is the colleges responsibility to ensure that all students feel safe and if they dont feel safe punishment must be made. Students should be able to express their freedom of specch to a certain extent but when others start to feel threatened that is when the colleges need to intervene.

The policies and restrictions on free speech at my desired universities are established to make the safest environment possible.  I think that  it is important for colleges to make additional regulations so that every student feels safe and secure.