Speeches at school suck anyway... I don't need 'em.

For those of you that think that racism is a thing of the past- I dare you to google "Beta Theta Pi Auburn".
I want to say that I believed it too. But I always knew that there were still crazy people in the world that just didn't get it. They didn't get that we are equals. Everyone. All equal. I guess it never sunk in. But this is just going a tad overboard. Wearing black face and simulating a lynching (all while wearing KKK garb)? Really? You couldn't be more subtle?
This is against most peoples personal values, but it's also agaisnt the law. As I'm sure we've all noticed at some point or another, the rules they make us follow in school can and will contradict those we are given in the real world (like free speech). And at this particular college, they made a rule forbidng "any form of discrimination or harassment related to a student's race." And they made sure it would be damn hard to find a loophole adding that harassment and discrimination can include: "slurs, jokes or other graphic or physical conduct related to a student's race". Now, when they graduate from that college- there will be no such rule. It may be a folkway to break, but there is no formal sanction. But, at school your rights don't necassarily match up with those given by the government. I'm not saying I agree with this, but in a situation like this you have to be a little happy that this exsits. Now they won't get away with it.
Although restrictited speech at school can be a good thing (^), there are times when it's just too much. With the organizatin FIRE you can look up certain schools and track the rights they allow pertaining to free speech. I looked up Syracuse University (being a hopeful) and was slightly dissappointed when I saw they were given a red light. Which means that they have at least one rule that is "clearly and substantially restrict[ing] freedom of speech". On FIRE they also give examples of things the media are saying and cases that have passed through the school, I was excited when I saw "On-Campus free speech slowly improving" but brought back down again when I read that they were listed on the "Top 12 worst colleges for free speech" list. One of the cases at Syracuse was about Holloween cosumes. Now, this is something I've delt with since I entered school so, I think I'll be okay for another 4 years. But it just upsets me that such a quailty school would even try to restrict something as fun as holloween costumes, I mean what counts as offensive? At my school, my friend got in trouble for cross-dressing when she was Clark Kent- is that offensive? Not to me, not to her, not to anyone who walked by her in the hallway, Clark Kent maybe? Now, or course these rules infringe on the freedom of speech- but they're allowed to. Freedom of expression and freedom of any kind of speech aren't necasarily things you get to keep when you walk into school.
Now, imagine if you will, if the party mentioned above happened at Syracuse University. They would have none of it. It would be shut-down in a second. They wouldn't even be allowed to think about it. No sir- no how.
But, I can't say I wouldn't do the same.

9/11

9/11/2001 is a time that holds heartbreak, and greif for many. But it also reminds many more how much we love this country. Everybody became way more protective of the United States after 9/11. The airports, the schools, and especially, the citizens.
Although at times it can all seem a little TOO much (I, too, an guilty of saying "What is actually gonna happen anyway?") but, I think we can all take a little time to realize how much the government cares for us, and the reason that things can seem a little too strict at times is- tough love.
These annoying new rules that have been in place now for 11 years are only here to protect us, thats not to say that next time I'm at an airport I'll be completely understanding and coopertive, I do get impatient and annoyed, but we can all take a step back and understand this is only for us.

Burning the Flag

Burning the American flag is NOT protected under free speech, but should it be?

In my humble opinion, no. But it's not like anyone actually cares. I don't have a reason to burn the flag and I don't think I ever will, but that doesn't mean it should be illegal. The reason I have against it is that if it were legal how many people do you think would do it? None. Or close to it.
Nothing irritates me more than when  the only reason people have to do something is because they're not allowed to. So maybe the reason it should be illegal is because everybody needs to grow up and get over it.
I do understand why it is illegal, because to the majority of our country veiws our flag as a symbol of freedom and it is very sacred to them and they're belifes, just like you can't burn the bible or other religous documents. The American flag has been through a lot, and has meant a lot to a lot of people and it would just be rude and dissrespectful to burn it.
But many people find ways to compain about this and to them all I have to say it- just stop.