1/3 of HS students think 1st Amendment goes “too far”
When told of the exact text of the First Amendment, more than one in three high school students said it goes “too far” in the rights it guarantees. Only half of the students said newspapers should be allowed to publish freely without government approval of stories…
When asked whether people should be allowed to express unpopular views, 97 percent of teachers and 99 percent of school principals said yes. Only 83 percent of students did.
UPDATE 4pm: just adding a direct link to the Future of the First Amendment study. The study focuses on media classes and shows that students who participate in them tend to have a better understanding of the First Amendment. Also, far more students believe offensive song lyrics and expression of unpopular opinions should be allowed than believe that the press should be free of gov’t intervention or that people should be allowed to deface the flag.