It all began in 1987, when the American Federation of Teachers, Freedom House, and the Educational Excellence Network co-sponsored the release of Education for Democracy, a statement of principles that received ample attention by the media, and then support from a wide variety of prominent Americans—including Jimmy Carter, George Will, Bayard Rustin, Gerald Ford, Liv Ullmann, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, Norman Lear, and Norman Podhoretz. The statement itself called on schools to "purposely impart to their students the learning necessary for an informed, reasoned allegiance to the ideals of a free society," debating that "democracy's survival depends upon our transmitting to each new generation the political vision of liberty and equality that unites us as Americans." It went on to say that “Such values are neither revealed truths nor natural habits. There is no evidence that we are born with them. Devotion to human dignity and freedom, to equal rights, to social and economic justice, to the rule of law, to civility and truth, to tolerance of diversity, to mutual assistance, to personal and civic responsibility, to self-restraint and self-respect—all these must be taught and learned and practiced.”
An updated edition was released in 2003 by the Albert Shanker Institute on the second anniversary of September 11. Both versions argued that the story of democracy should not be confined purely to the Americans, but all across the globe. The authors went on to say that "the great central drama of modern history has been and continues to be the struggle to establish, preserve, and extend democracy—at home and abroad." They way they saw it, all students should be provided with a full and fair account of both the pros and cons of democratic societies, as well as a basis of other governmental bodies to pit democracy against.
But what does all this talk about free speech have to do with democracy, exactly? Is there ever a time where someone's speech is of greater importance? As said in Animal Farm, "Some Animals are more equal than others". But who is more equal than the rest of us, and what exactly constitutes equality? Is it money? The age in which one is born? Gender or ethnic race?
Most importantly, should it really matter in the long run? Should it not be based instead on the concept of work ethic and character? Is this not what democracy is all about? And is it not an example of free speech to allow me to write this paper, questioning the inner workings of a democratic system? The Education for Democracy does state that one should question its own principles, so is that in itself not an example of the genius of the system?
An updated edition was released in 2003 by the Albert Shanker Institute on the second anniversary of September 11. Both versions argued that the story of democracy should not be confined purely to the Americans, but all across the globe. The authors went on to say that "the great central drama of modern history has been and continues to be the struggle to establish, preserve, and extend democracy—at home and abroad." They way they saw it, all students should be provided with a full and fair account of both the pros and cons of democratic societies, as well as a basis of other governmental bodies to pit democracy against.
But what does all this talk about free speech have to do with democracy, exactly? Is there ever a time where someone's speech is of greater importance? As said in Animal Farm, "Some Animals are more equal than others". But who is more equal than the rest of us, and what exactly constitutes equality? Is it money? The age in which one is born? Gender or ethnic race?
Most importantly, should it really matter in the long run? Should it not be based instead on the concept of work ethic and character? Is this not what democracy is all about? And is it not an example of free speech to allow me to write this paper, questioning the inner workings of a democratic system? The Education for Democracy does state that one should question its own principles, so is that in itself not an example of the genius of the system?