free speech takes a hit

[ArlJim78]

Originally Posted by ShadowRoll

However, I digress. I don't think this case was particularly about the rights of juveniles (Frederick was 18 at the time of the incident), but, as I said in an earlier post, about the balancing of an individual's rights versus the competing interests of the school. I agree with Baba that this is a limited and narrow case, and shouldn't, by itself, be taken as a sign that individual rights are being irreparably eroded. The stuff that goes on with the Patriot Act scares me a lot more than this decision. Nevertheless, I applaud the people on this site who have taken the time to dabate this issue. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

it is nice to be able to express differing opinions in a civilized manner. An open mind I think is a good thing.

while I think this is a rather low level issue, the issue that has me really wondering and concerned about where this country is headed is not civil rights or the patriot act. Its the accumulative toll of tens of millions of illegal aliens roaming all over the countryside. In my view its not hard to imagine losing control of sectors of the country when you essemtially do not have control over the border. It's an issue with multi-faceted effects on the country from national security, cultural, and economic and on down the line.
anyway, that discussion is for another thread.