A discussion with my analytical cousin who came in visiting for the Sundance film festival [which is where I've been for the past week or so, just so you all know] led to this topic.
My grandmother was discussing School Uniforms, and asked him what he thought about the subject. Of course he had to pause and didn't have any real 'personal' opinion about it, and then said it depended upon if children had rights or not.
I then pointed out the fact that children do have rights seeing as sexual and physical abuses of minors are considered crimes and charged against. He then explained that he had used the wrong word; the question was, whether children had liberties.
There are distinct differences between what is our right and what are our liberties. For the purpose of this discussion/debate we're going to assume that the country of topic upon whether children have liberties or not is the United States of America. We are also defining 'children' as minors, those under the age of legal adulthood, 18.
Civil liberties are the inherent things we are granted; freedom of speech, right to worship what we want to worship, and the right against unreasonable seizures of property. Basically, civil liberties are our 'inalienable rights' dubbed by the constitution.
Civil rights are a relatively new concept. They were produced as a way to stop discrimination against minorities like women, people of different races and countries, and of orientation. Civil rights are what states that people shouldn't be fired or hired of the basis of race, sex, or orientation.
My cousin determined that if children have liberties, then school uniforms shouldn't be put into use. If they don't have liberties, then, school uniforms were okay.
The question is: Do children have liberties?
I'll first give some evidence that points to the case that they do not have liberties. Some of you may have heard of the 1988 Supreme Court Case "Hazelwood School Dist. v. Kuhlmeier". What occurred was, a series of newspaper articles about controversial matters like pregnant students and family problems were trying to be publish through the school newspaper by students at a school. The principal looked over the paper and found the content inappropriate so he/she took it out, and did not allow it to be published. The students, when they were older and graduated, took the case the court in which it was ruled that it wasn't censorship or a violation of the 1st amendment to censor the school newspaper.
This, to me, is evidence that children do not have liberties, at least not in the school setting. If the same situation had been applied to an adult who attempted to publish something about the work situation and was censored, it would seem that the office corporation setting would be forced to allow the adult to publish it because of freedom of speech.
What are evidences that children have liberties?
What are evidences that children do not have liberties?
Sources:
The Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier case here: http://www.anarchytv.com/speech/hazel.htm
The difference between civil liberties and civil rights here: http://www.commonplacebook.com/current_events/politics/difference_betw.shtm
My grandmother was discussing School Uniforms, and asked him what he thought about the subject. Of course he had to pause and didn't have any real 'personal' opinion about it, and then said it depended upon if children had rights or not.
I then pointed out the fact that children do have rights seeing as sexual and physical abuses of minors are considered crimes and charged against. He then explained that he had used the wrong word; the question was, whether children had liberties.
There are distinct differences between what is our right and what are our liberties. For the purpose of this discussion/debate we're going to assume that the country of topic upon whether children have liberties or not is the United States of America. We are also defining 'children' as minors, those under the age of legal adulthood, 18.
Civil liberties are the inherent things we are granted; freedom of speech, right to worship what we want to worship, and the right against unreasonable seizures of property. Basically, civil liberties are our 'inalienable rights' dubbed by the constitution.
Civil rights are a relatively new concept. They were produced as a way to stop discrimination against minorities like women, people of different races and countries, and of orientation. Civil rights are what states that people shouldn't be fired or hired of the basis of race, sex, or orientation.
My cousin determined that if children have liberties, then school uniforms shouldn't be put into use. If they don't have liberties, then, school uniforms were okay.
The question is: Do children have liberties?
I'll first give some evidence that points to the case that they do not have liberties. Some of you may have heard of the 1988 Supreme Court Case "Hazelwood School Dist. v. Kuhlmeier". What occurred was, a series of newspaper articles about controversial matters like pregnant students and family problems were trying to be publish through the school newspaper by students at a school. The principal looked over the paper and found the content inappropriate so he/she took it out, and did not allow it to be published. The students, when they were older and graduated, took the case the court in which it was ruled that it wasn't censorship or a violation of the 1st amendment to censor the school newspaper.
This, to me, is evidence that children do not have liberties, at least not in the school setting. If the same situation had been applied to an adult who attempted to publish something about the work situation and was censored, it would seem that the office corporation setting would be forced to allow the adult to publish it because of freedom of speech.
What are evidences that children have liberties?
What are evidences that children do not have liberties?
Sources:
The Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier case here: http://www.anarchytv.com/speech/hazel.htm
The difference between civil liberties and civil rights here: http://www.commonplacebook.com/current_events/politics/difference_betw.shtm