Give me a J-E-S-U-S. What does that spell?
Candace Hulsey
Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Opinion
In Oglethorpe Ga., high school students are learning what exactly freedom of speech and religion means. Cheerleaders at a public high school were using Bible scriptures on banners during football games. What ensued was controversy.
Freedom of speech and freedom of religion are stated in the constitution, but they are not absolute. Rights of the individuals do not surpass the rights of society.
There has to be a separation of church and state. This was because the founding fathers did not want to be like England where religious views where pushed upon the people. The students were legally allowed to practice these rights. The thing is, they have to practice them on their own time. A school football game is not the appropriate time.
Not everyone at the football game is going to share the same view. To push that view onto someone who does not wish to hear it, violates his or her constitutional rights.
Daniel Spielmann, interim assistant chancellor, uses the term balancing. You have to balance the rights of the individual with the rights of society.
There are two aspects of religious freedom according to Spielmann. The first is the ability to practice your religion. The second, is to not have a state sponsored religion.
Spectators at a high school football game don't want cheerleaders pushing their religious views on them. It is a balancing act. It is a give and take scenario. Yes, we have these individual freedoms, but there are also the freedoms of the society.
Most Americans are Christians. We also have a lot of other religions in this country. To assume everyone is okay with having Bible passages thrown at them during a football game is pushing it.
If this case were to go to the Supreme Court, the students would likely not win the case due to separation of church and state. Even if they were to argue that it was their right to practice freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
If this school were a private school that allowed cheerleaders to cheer about Jesus, this would be constitutional. There are different rules when it comes to privately owned places. Limitations of free speech are increased rather than decreased.
Freedom of speech does not permit this anymore than freedom of religion does. Yes, we have the right to stand on a corner of a street and promote Christian beliefs, if the corner is not privately owned.
Another restriction to these rights is if the actions causes harm, or have the potential to cause harm, or could cause a disturbance. As of now, there has not been a serious outcome, but that does not mean it might not upset someone in the future.
This would cause a disturbance and worst-case scenario could result in harm. If this case made it to the Supreme Court, they would take this into consideration.
As far as the school board doing the right thing, it is evident that they did. They foresaw the potential problems in having the cheerleaders continuing their tradition.
They are trying to prevent it from going to court, but at the same time they are acknowledging the rights of those who do not share the same beliefs as the cheerleaders.
Freedom of speech and freedom of religion are stated in the constitution, but they are not absolute. Rights of the individuals do not surpass the rights of society.
There has to be a separation of church and state. This was because the founding fathers did not want to be like England where religious views where pushed upon the people. The students were legally allowed to practice these rights. The thing is, they have to practice them on their own time. A school football game is not the appropriate time.
Not everyone at the football game is going to share the same view. To push that view onto someone who does not wish to hear it, violates his or her constitutional rights.
Daniel Spielmann, interim assistant chancellor, uses the term balancing. You have to balance the rights of the individual with the rights of society.
There are two aspects of religious freedom according to Spielmann. The first is the ability to practice your religion. The second, is to not have a state sponsored religion.
Spectators at a high school football game don't want cheerleaders pushing their religious views on them. It is a balancing act. It is a give and take scenario. Yes, we have these individual freedoms, but there are also the freedoms of the society.
Most Americans are Christians. We also have a lot of other religions in this country. To assume everyone is okay with having Bible passages thrown at them during a football game is pushing it.
If this case were to go to the Supreme Court, the students would likely not win the case due to separation of church and state. Even if they were to argue that it was their right to practice freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
If this school were a private school that allowed cheerleaders to cheer about Jesus, this would be constitutional. There are different rules when it comes to privately owned places. Limitations of free speech are increased rather than decreased.
Freedom of speech does not permit this anymore than freedom of religion does. Yes, we have the right to stand on a corner of a street and promote Christian beliefs, if the corner is not privately owned.
Another restriction to these rights is if the actions causes harm, or have the potential to cause harm, or could cause a disturbance. As of now, there has not been a serious outcome, but that does not mean it might not upset someone in the future.
This would cause a disturbance and worst-case scenario could result in harm. If this case made it to the Supreme Court, they would take this into consideration.
As far as the school board doing the right thing, it is evident that they did. They foresaw the potential problems in having the cheerleaders continuing their tradition.
They are trying to prevent it from going to court, but at the same time they are acknowledging the rights of those who do not share the same beliefs as the cheerleaders.
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