Brave 12 Year Old Takes a Stand

If anyone has ever followed the link to the Conservative Teacher on my blogroll, you will somtimes read about statists (more commonly know as "liberals") using the classroom to advance their political agenda. According to a World Net Daily article, a seventh grader in Canada wanted to speak about abortion as part of a public speaking competition but her teacher strongly advised her against it and went so far as to initially rule her ineligible from the competition. The girl refused to speak on another topic since she was so passionate about the the topic - even if it meant forfeiting the chance to give the speech in front of her school. After she gave the speech in class, her teacher decided the speech was so good that she would be allowed to participate in the school-wide public speaking contest.

Even though the school principal and other teachers called her presentation the "obvious winner," the judges disqualified her because of the topic. The judges later reversed the disqualification after one of the judges quit. She will now represent her school in a regional speech competition.

This brave 12 year old should be an example to other students who stand up for what they believe even if it means ruffling a few feathers. But I have been thinking . . . would I have been as supportative of her actions if she had wanted to speak on global warming or national health care and took a statist view and a conservative or libertarian teacher tried to silence her? I hope so. Free speech should be supported even when we disagree with what is being said. And, yes, I am an absolutist about this. I do support someone's right to burn the flag. But what about yelling "FIRE!" in a crowded movie theater? The movie theater, aka, the property owner, may restrict free speech but government cannot. Period. But, but, but . . . "Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech . . . ." PERIOD!

(Yes, I know this was in Canada and they don't have the same Constitutional protections on free speech and it was a school - not Congress - attempting to restrict her speech, but I am not going to let the facts get in the way of a good rant.)

Here is the video of the speech: