News Links
“A” Is For “Adults Only”
Apple Computers encourages knowledgeable code-writers to participate in their open-source developer program, Darwin. But in March, one active contributor found that his input wasn’t welcome any more after the company learned he was 15 years old. Details are at <http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,51343,00.html>.
CIPA Testimony: Filters Flunk
In a federal court in Philadelphia, testimony on the Children’s Internet Protection Act began on Tuesday, March 26. Witnesses told of the ineffectiveness of the blocking software required by the act, as well as the inevitability of inoffensive, educational sites being blocked. The text of the law can be viewed at <http://sethf.com/anticensorware/legal/001218cipa.html>; some coverage of the court proceedings is found at <http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,51338,00.html>.
Canadians Pick Cigs Over Kids
A city ordinance in Winnipeg which took effect January 1, 2002 prohibited smoking in stores and shops frequented by children. Many businesses, instead of banning smoking, decided to ban people under 18. A brief article appears at <http://www.libertysearch.com/articles/2002/000005.html>.
Smartest U.S. Town Lowers Voting Age
It may not change anything, but this news is a ray of sunshine: on March 25, 2002, the City Council of Cambridge, Massachusetts, the home of Harvard University, voted to allow 17-year-olds to vote in local elections. The minutes of the council meeting appear at <http://www.ci.cambridge.ma.us/govt/council_2002/020325FinalActions.pdf>. To take effect, however, the measure requires the approval of the Massachusetts state legislature, by no means guaranteed.
“Virtual” Underage Sex Is Protected Speech
On April 16, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down provisions of the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996 which outlawed computer-generated depictions of minors in sexual situations and portrayals of apparent teen sex by young-looking actors over the age of 18. According to the article at <http://www.cnn.com/2002/LAW/04/16/scotus.virtual.child.porn/?related>, the majority opinion cited several artistically significant examples of such portrayals, such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and films such as Traffic.
Attack on Video Games Goes National
As reported in the March/April 2002 issue of Youth Truth, the Indianapolis city ordinance restricting the minors’ access to “inappropriate” video games was found unconstitutional, but on April 19, a similar law in St. Louis, Missouri was upheld by a federal court. Variations of the ordinance are now appearing around the country, most notably from the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif.) has introduced H.R. 4645, which would make the sale or rental to minors of videos with violent or other “offensive” content a federal crime. Two articles are at <http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/05/07/violent.videogames.reut/> and <http://www.cnn.com/virtual/editions/europe/2000/roof/change.pop/frameset.exclude.html>.
Parents’ Advice Gets Girl Suspended
Becca Johnson, an honor-roll sixth-grader in Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was suspended for three days after a teacher spotted her drawing of two teachers with arrows through their heads. According to <http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=16187>, Becca’s parents always told her to write or draw about her feelings if she was angry, rather than taking her anger out on others.
PA Students Can Criticize in Print
A committee of the Pennsylvania Council of Basic Education rejected a proposal on May 15 to allow school administrators to suppress dissent in student publications. According to <http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=16268>, the proposal would have eliminated the section of the school code that reads “School officials may not censor or restrict material simply because it is critical of the school or its administration”.
Bill Promotes “Teen Endangerment”
The “Teen Endangerment Act” (HR 476), which makes it harder for minors to obtain abortions, would place pregnant teens in more danger, says an ACLU press release at <http://www.aclu.org/news/2002/n032002a.html>; the bill is at <http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:h.r.476:>
Zero Tolerance for Students Only
A Florida middle school must rehire their Technology Coordinator, who was fired for using cocaine on the job, according to <http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/news/031502/Local/ST001.shtml>.
Town Backs Down on Restriction
After a public outcry, West Virginia’s Alcohol Beverage Control Commission promised that the existing law against minors being allowed into restaurants that serve alcohol unless accompanied by their legal guardian, would not be enforced. After a zealous official in Parkersburg WV warned area restaurants about the law, relatives found that they could no longer take their young grandchildren, nieces or nephews out to restaurants such as The Olive Garden, Applebee’s or Red Lobster. And, according to <http://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/story/0562002_new03_alcohol.asp>, with prom night on the way, young people worried about where to plan a special dinner. The follow-up story at <http://www.newsandsentinel.com/news/story/05172002_new06_ABCCRules.asp> reports that the town’s chamber of commerce will petition state leaders to change the 1901 law.
Polite Teen Drinkers Undetected
Two Philadelphia area teenagers were arrested in February for selling alcohol to their friends in a barn furnished with a stereo system, ping pong and gambling tables, and a fully equipped wet bar. After months of operation, neighbors remained unaware of anything going on, according to <http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/2690129.htm>; the surprised next-door neighbor said she never heard any noise.
School Shooting in Germany
On April 26, a recently-expelled 19-year-old student returned to his high school in Erfurt, Germany—with a gun and 500 rounds of ammunition. His targets were adults: 13 teachers, a secretary, and a police officer were killed by the gunman, as well as 2 female students, before the gunman turned the weapon on himself. Six other people were wounded. One report may be seen at <http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/europe/newsid_1952000/1952869.stm>. In February 2002, a multiple shooting took place in Munich, Germany in which the gunman’s former high-school principal and two former bosses were killed.
Who Looks Up Girls’ Skirts?
A story reported worldwide: A female vice-principal of a high school in Rancho Bernardo, California was placed on administrative leave after she lifted the skirts of females entering a school dance, in full view of other students, to make sure they weren’t wearing thong underwear. There are many links to this story; two are <http://www.nbc4.tv/news/1429404/detail.html> and <http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/1427309/detail.html>. Apparently the school’s dress code did not even prohibit thongs.
Caseworkers Cut Corners, Lose Children
A Florida five-year-old was missing for over a year before the state’s Department of Children and Families realized she had disappeared, apparently kidnapped by someone posing as a social worker. The child’s real caseworker, according to <http://www.mycfnow.com/sh/news/stories/nat-news-143803220020506-200503.html> had been falsely reporting visits to the child’s home. A follow-up at <http://more.abcnews.go.com/sections/gma/goodmorningamerica/gma020516flalostkids.html> reveals that this case is not so unusual in Florida.
No Ceremony for Regular Joes
Eight high schools in San Fernando Valley, California have decided that only students who plan to enter colleges, trade schools, or military service will be included in their own graduation ceremonies; see <http://www.cnn.com/2002/fyi/teachers.ednews/05/08/graduation.policy.ap/index.html>.
Finger-Shooter Loses Lawsuit
A New Jersey boy suspended in June 2000 for pretending his finger was a gun will not be allowed to sue his school district, according to a May 2 article at <http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=16171>. A federal judge threw out the lawsuit.
Church Claims Immunity
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston argued for dismissal of a sexual abuse lawsuit against it on the grounds that the separation of church and state renders the church exempt from liability. Superior Court Judge Raymond Brassard rejected that argument and denied the motion to dismiss the case, according to <http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=16227>.
Students Mourn Free Speech Demise
West Virginia University students staged a mock funeral for the First Amendment on May 13 after the school enacted a policy of confining student demonstrations to specific “free speech zones”. The article at <http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=16247> tells of black-shrouded mourners marching a coffin to its final resting place.
Michigan Students Protest Suspensions
About 150 students at South Lyon High School attended a May 14 sit-in to protest the suspension of several students for publishing and distributing an underground newspaper critical of school officials. The ACLU may represent the students, according to <http://www.freep.com/news/locoak/nslyon16_20020516.htm>.
“Abstinence” Money Misused
A lawsuit against the state of Louisiana accuses the state of using federal grants for sexual abstinence programs to provide biblical instruction and organize prayer sessions at local abortion clinics, among other religious activities, according to <http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0509a10filler09.html>.
