Law Day 2001 Essay Contest Winning Entries
Read the winning essays from the 2001 Lycoming County Law Day Essay Contest:
Should we let the government decide to limit the violence on television, in the movies, and the internet? I will answer this using my own opinion. I think that the people should choose, so that everyone is in an agreement and not angry about the choice that was made. Besides, if Congress would start making laws like this we could become a totalitarian country, where Congress would decide everything for the country. This would also take away your freedom of speech.
Jolene Hiller, St. Boniface Elementary School
No, the government should not be able to limit the violence on the television, in the movies, and on the internet.
The industry should be responsible for policing themselves. Television and the movies have developed their own rating system to alert parents to the shows contents. The internet has age requirements to visit certain websites.
Parents need to pay more attention to what their kid’s are watching and visiting. Government interference is not the answer!
Kyle Wagner, Ashkar Elementary School
The U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of speech, however I think the government should be able to limit violence on television, movies and on the internet. The violence seen in these media influences kids to do things that might hurt themselves or other people as they get older. Since our government also promises to protect Americans from enemies, I think violence is an enemy of our society, and the government should protect us from it.
Nathan Frailey, Round Hills Elementary School
Fifth Amendment
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. Therefore, the government should not have the right to limit that freedom. What we see on television, in the movies, or on the internet is a freedom we enjoy, and the government should not limit our choices. We should be able to watch what we want. Our government does not have the right to make those choices for us. It is our decision.
Christopher Bowes, Round Hills Elementary School
Yes, I do support the random searches of lockers and backpacks of students. I feel that it is entirely reasonable to check students’ lockers and backpacks for several reasons. I think that we have come to a day in age when some students no longer feel safe in the school they are attending. It would make me and many other people feel safe to know for sure that no one in the school has a weapon. Although everyone wants his privacy, I think that it is necessary to search children’s lockers to protect children from violence by making sure it never happens. In conclusion, although the fourth amendment protects against unreasonable searches, I feel that it is reasonable to search students’ lockers and backpacks in an effort to end school violence.
Jared Joella, Loyalsock Middle School
If there is a reason for a student’s backpack or locker to be searched, then a search should be allowed. If a staff member has a reasonable suspicion that a student has something dangerous in his/her locker, then the search definitely should be done for the safety reasons. If there isn’t a probable cause, then it is a violation of the student’s privacy. The question is one of importance between individual rights and school safety. They are both equally important to me, but when it comes down to potential violence and harmful acts, I think that school safety is definitely more important.
I used to feel that it wasn’t fair for teachers to search lockers and/or backpacks. Then I realized that by searching backpacks and lockers, we could save lives. I think most people would feel safer in school knowing that something dangerous might be discovered before someone gets hurt.
Caroline Mahoney, Curtin Middle School
I think that certain people should be permitted to search students’ lockers and backpacks. If school personnel have a good reason to believe that an individual may have something potentially dangerous in his locker or backpack, those people should have the right to conduct a search. The Fourth Amendment states that people have the right to be protected against”...unreasonable searches and seizures”. If authorities have a reasonable cause, they must first get a warrant to search a private citizen’s possessions. However, if they have reason to believe that someone’s life is in danger, then authorities are allowed to take immediate action without a warrant. I don’t find it necessary for school personnel to get a warrant to search lockers or backpacks, but they should have a good reason to do so. I do believe that students’ backpacks and lockers should be allowed to be searched, but only under serious conditions.
Stephonie Dougherty, Curtin Middle School
Are backpack and locker searches unreasonable? Some people say it is an intrusion. Others say it is school property. I don’t think the searches are unreasonable. The Fourth Amendment doesn’t restrict all searches, but the unreasonable. It is not unreasonable to protect students!
Whatever must be done to protect kids against drugs and violence should be done . I have nothing to hide from the police. If you think it’s unreasonable, then I think you have something to hide. It’s wrong to not do everything in one’s power to protect the students of today’s world. What is wrong about looking in lockers and backpacks while in search of illegal substances? I would do everything I could to help the police in stopping drugs and violence. I sincerely hope you will too.
Keith Jaenke McCall Middle School
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. Therefore, the government should not be able to limit violence on television, movies, or the internet. If children choose not to watch, then they don’t have to. History and war movies would be eliminated. If kids wanted to do a report on these subjects, then they would not have that available. We do not need limits, we need common sense.
Tessa Vermilya, Round Hills Elementary School
No. We have the freedom to watch what we want--people fought for us to have this freedom, so some people should use it. The government is not our mom or dad. It’s not his problem if your mom and dad are stupid. The government wanted freedom so he should not rip it away from us.
Rodrick Persun, Immaculate Conception Elementary School
