Compromising constitutional rights: A terrifying trend that today’s teens will be fighting tomorrow
Soren Hiatt, Senior reporter

I don't want to sound like an extremist or anything, but it sounds "1984"-ish,” states Nikole Knak (11) in regards to recent legislation by the Obama Administration. This is not an isolated thought among the youth of our nation today.

There are numerous shifts taking place in the our nation’s politics such as the addition of the Health Care Bill, talk of a gun ban, and recent events that have violated the 1st amendment. Some worry that these changes are a direct violation of our constitutional rights. Cynthia Yee (12) comments, “It states we have the right to bear arms... and [President Obama] is trying to prevent that.

The Health Care Bill is causing upheaval in the political hemisphere, but few teenagers seem to recognize the impact this will have on them in the near future. Its controversy is rooted in the bill’s requirement for all to have healthcare. While it would provide free healthcare to those who are not able to afford it, it would require all other citizens to buy health insurance or face fines by the IRS.

Recently at James Madison University’s newspaper The Breeze one of the most important amendments of all was obstructed. The newspaper possessed pictures of a recent riot and refused to give them to the local police. The police in turn raided the paper and took over 900 photos from the computers. The school was not given warning or a chance to get a lawyer.

This is a direct defiance of the 1st amendment, which gives freedom of speech and helps protect the institutions that utilize it. The Law Student Press Center is in charge of ensuring that the different rights of journalism are enforced in schools across the nation. Frank LoMonte the executive director of Law Student Press Center states, “To intimidate student journalists with a massive show of force and with no time to consult legal counsel is grossly improper.

Freedom of speech is one of the most important amendments; it allows people to state their opinion. Without this right our country would become nothing more than a tyrannical oligarchy. Nikole Knak (11) mentions that “[she] has her own opinions and if [her] freedom of speech is taken away, then we know that the government is completely corrupt.

President Obama has long been known to harbor ill will towards the availability of weaponry in American culture. He plans to reduce the availability of firearms as well as their ammunition in his coming term. The idea is to get guns of the street and hopefully reduce gun related fatality. And while it might do just that it would also inevitably go against the 2nd amendment of the constitution which gives US citizens the right to have and use fire arms. President Obama may have a good goal, however, his method lack legality. Charles Foster (11) remarks that, “The right to bear arms is an important right that should not be impeded in any way.

The deterioration of our Constitutional rights has sped in recent history and who knows what will happen next.