this is a shame….
Wired News: Write a Story, Go to Jail
i remember back when i was in high school – some TV network ran a special on the short stories by jr. high and high school students. The theme was on free speech. the stories were transformed into screenplays for TV. The first story showcased in this series haunted me for some time.
it’s told in the first person. the student arrives at school one day and he finds national guard soldiers posted everywhere. the other students wouldn’t talk above a whisper. it was shot in black and white. he saw another student kicking and screaming about his rights, as a pair of soldiers dragged him away to some unknown, but dreaded fate. the narrator walked into his home-room. he had history for first period. he browsed through his book and saw several pages have been ripped out. he became indignant. “who did this to my book?” his classmates motioned frantically to shut-up. one whispered – don’t you know? they eliminated our bill of rights. the story ended, with a horrifed realization marring the narrator’s face.
“Sara McFall, Robertson’s attorney, calls Robertson’s writing “disturbing,” but argued in court, “If a story describing such things is evidence (of a plan to commit murder), then Stephen King would be serving a life sentence.”
it’s absolutely absurd, the lengths the government will go to “protect” students. furthermore it’s shameful to treat our students like criminals – before they have a chance to commit any treason, violence, bombing, etc. whatever happened to educating students? instead, we have laws that are set-up to trip them on creative expression. to trap them in their writings. Growing-up, i had no fear, when turning in my creative writing assignments. My imagination ran free and my teachers nurtured my inspiration in story-telling. Ok, granted, I was not a doom and gloom, bombing type of gal. But at the same time, my teachers never censored those dark stories on witchcraft and suicide, and later on teenage angst. Where else could students find the safest means to express fears and frustration and pain? These laws seem like the final push to eliminate the safe havens found writing. Because once you eliminate that valve for creativity – what’s left? Do you honestly think students will simply come out and TALK about the disturbing thoughts? No. If anything, there’s more of chance to simply act on those disturbing thoughts.
argh. maybe i’ll move to Canada and raise my family….whenever I get the urge to have little “queenkvs” running all over the place.