Discussion»Questions»Current Events and News» A high school student was banned from his Valedictorian speech for thanking God for his achievements.Is this an attack on his 1st Amendment?
The fact of a free society compels us to acknowledge not everyone is a Christian, or wants to be, and that the holy-days of other faiths fall into the same time frame as Christmas.
Would you feel your beliefs were being respected if someone wished you a Joyous Ramadan?
The student should have every right to say what he wants. He is not a employee of the government school so there is no violation of "separation of church and state" (which is not in the Constitution by the way) Definately stepping on the student's rights.
Had that been me, I would not have attended and would try to talk as many of my friends into also boycotting. (Yes, I did have friends in HS.) "Take this diploma and shove it."
Poor kid. I'm not religious or anything, but people are allowed to believe what they want (freedom of religion and all that) and if he wants to thank God then I don't see a problem with that. Just because I don't believe in God doesn't mean everyone else has to keep quiet about it for my sake, kind of like how they have to listen to atheists as well.
Nope. He was an official speaker, at an official school function. As such, the courts have ruled his First Amendment right to believe in a god (or not) is secondary to the First Amendment prohibition on government (and public schools are part of government) favoring one religion over another.
When I graduated, our high school had 2 ceremonies. There was the official one that was completely secular ... and an unofficial baccalaureate, where local religious speakers were allowed. Nobody was required to attend either one.
Don Barzini 