Law Day 2003 Art & Essay Contest Winning Entries
Here are the winning entries for the 2003 Lycoming County Law Day art and essay contest.
SHOULD SCHOOLS CONTROL WHAT YOU WEAR TO SCHOOL?
I think the schools should not let the kids wear bad clothes, because they are distracting kids when they are in school. If kids wear Mohawks, kids will be distracted. Kids can’t wear inappropriate clothes like tank tops, and leather pants because they show too many body parts. Some kids need control.
Donald Frisch, Ashkar Elementary School
SHOULD THE SCHOOLS CONTROL WHAT YOU WEAR TO SCHOOL?
I think we should be able to wear whatever we want to school. Wearing uniforms would be boring because you would wear the same outfit every day. You would not be able to be creative with your outfits. Everyone would be the same and there would be no individuality. So, ban uniforms, and be an original.
Paul Pastore, Four Mile Elementary School
SHOULD THE SCHOOLS CONTROL WHAT YOU WEAR TO SCHOOL?
Schools should control what children wear so that poorer kids aren’t left out. No one teases anyone about clothing when kids wear uniforms. Children should become individuals in ways besides clothing. With uniforms, they’ll use their talents more to express their individuality, and everyone would be a lot happier.
Elaina Stone, St. Joseph Elementary School
Electronic Freedom
The Internet is a place of freedom of expression containing valuable political and controversial views, that through government control would be booted off the net. Just as an artist uses a paint and canvas to form her ideas and opinions to the world, computer people use the mouse and keyboard as their paint and canvas to express their constitutional right to freedom of expression. Also what would be booted off of the Internet? Pornography? Viruses? Would it be websites harmful to our government?
The Internet is an international tool. It’s not fair for America to tell someone in Iraq “No, you mayn’t write that the U.S. is war hungry.”
The Internet is an international tool. It isn’t fair for the government to decide which cultures interact.
I’m not alone in my opinion according to [survey.net] 65% of Americans think parents should filter the Internet, not the government.
The government shouldn’t monitor the net because electronic freedom would be forever lost.
Amber Lee, Curtin Middle School
“Should the Government Control What Can Be Put on the Internet?”
No, the government should not be able to control what is allowed to be put on the Internet. The United States of America is a country built on freedom; being told what you can and can’t see is not what I consider freedom. Thousands of people flee from their own countries to the United States because they want more freedom. If our government controls what we can see, we are no better than all the countries that control what people wear or what religion people can have. Our country originated because the people didn’t like being under British control. They didn’t like being told what to do. If a person doesn’t like what might be seen on the Internet, then that person shouldn’t get onto the Internet. In America, people have choices and our country takes great pride in that. So, in my opinion the government shouldn’t be able to control the Internet.
Brittany Heikes, Lycoming Valley Middle School
Government Control of the Internet
“Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of the press.” This right is stated in the Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. It would be a violation of the spirit of the First Amendment to allow the government censorship of the Internet.
Let us view the worst case scenario on both sides of this issue. Censorship of the Internet may subject the American populace to only politically biased and governmentally influenced information. An Internet where free press is guaranteed would possibly expose us to erroneous or offensive information. In the latter circumstance, we have the power to investigate the reliability of a given source and the accuracy of the information provided. Also, any sites containing information deemed unsuitable for young children may be blocked. In the former circumstance, we not only jeopardize our inalienable right to freedom of expression but also take a dangerous step towards totalitarianism.
Sarah Esaa, Williamsport High School
Denay Wodrig, Ashkar Elementary School
Steven Slocum, McCall Middle School
Conor Norris, St. Joseph Elementary School
Sarah Weber, McCall Middle School
Emily Bixler, Hughesville High School
