Free Speech

There was a post on Slashdot (aka /.) yesterday about a Catholic school requiring students to take down their blogs. (The reason I bring this up is because I only heard it on the Slashdot Review today). From the article:

"Students at Pope John XIII, a Catholic high school, were told to take down their blogs from sites like Xanga and MySpace or face suspension. Rev. Kieran McHugh, the school's principal, said that he was trying to protect students from online predators. Not too surprisingly, free speech advocates got more than a little concerned."

This is outrageous and stupid. If my school were to say, for those same reasons, that I would have to take down this blog, I would not do so, even if it meant suspension. I quote one of the most influential documents of all time, and certainly the most influential in our country:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

While primarily a rant, I just wanted to make it known that the Internet is a free place. The Internet is not a place where others have control over what you do, save the local governments of the area you live in. And so now I'll close this rant and surprisingly long and rambling post. Adieu!