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NYRA Freedom
ISSN 1933-5229
Volume 7, Issue 4
April 12, 2007
Contents:
Introduction
Austria Lowers Voting Age
NYRA Participates in Free Speech Rally
NYRA Fights Criminalization of Drinking
New Book on Youth Rights
NYRA Fundraising Contest
Oblivion Essay Contest
News from the Web
Conclusion
Introduction
It has been another good month for NYRA. The nation of Austria has
lowered its voting age to sixteen, setting an important precedent for
the rest of the world. NYRA participated in a students’ rights rally
in front of the Supreme Court. NYRA also stopped a bill that would
have criminalized underage drinking in Washington, DC. Youth rights
is on the march all over the world, with progress on the voting age,
drinking age, and student rights, now is the time to get involved, now
is the time to make a donation to keep this engine of activism moving.
Austria Lowers Voting Age
On March 14th, the Austrian government decided to allow sixteen and
seventeen year olds to vote in national elections. The effort to
lower the voting age had the support of both the liberal and
conservative parties in Austria. This is tremendously important, as
the young people of Austria will prove to the world that lowering the
voting age is a good idea. It will invigorate their democracy, and
hopefully the United States will follow their example. In a letter to
NYRA, Austrian ambassador Eva Nowotny wrote “We demand so much
responsibility from the younger generation and load so many burdens on
their shoulders that we feel it was the right thing to do.”
NYRA Participates in Free Speech Rally
A few years ago, a high school student named Joseph Frederick was
punished for unfurling a banner that read "bong hits 4 Jesus" and
subsequently quoting Thomas Jefferson to his principal. He sued, and
won, but the principal brought the case to the Supreme Court. The
principal (and her lawyers, who include Ken Starr) is essentially
arguing that schools should have the right to silence all speech with
which they disagree. This could include artistic speech, academic
work, and discussion of political issues (such as youth rights or drug
policy) where there is room for legitimate debate. The National Youth
Rights Association strongly supports Joseph Frederick and the first
amendment.
On March 19 the Supreme Court heard oral arguments from each side. The
National Youth Rights Association participated in and helped organize
a Students for a Sensible Drug Policy led protest in front of the
court. The rally was well attended, and NYRA members traveled from as
far as Michigan to participate. Protesters held signs that read "free
speech 4 students" as well as a large "free speech 4 students” banner
designed to look like the "bong hits 4 Jesus" banner that caused all
the controversy. There was a lot of media coverage of this event.
Throughout the United States, the rights of students in public schools
are systematically violated. Students are subjected to drug tests,
unreasonable searches, and censorship. School teachers and
administrators treat Tinker V Des Moines, the landmark Supreme Court
ruling that guaranteed Constitutional rights in public schools, as
nothing more than a nuisance that must be circumvented. If this
pending Supreme Court case rules in favor of such an authoritarian
administrator, this kind of unacceptable behavior could become the law
of the land.
NYRA extends its sincere gratitude to all the members who attended the
rally, particularly Kris and Devin, who traveled a great distance.
NYRA also thanks the Students for a Sensible Drug Policy for their
work in organizing the protest.
NYRA Fights Criminalization of Drinking
DC Councilmember Jim Graham recently introduced legislation regarding
young people and nightclubs. Initially the legislation would have
banned all people under 21 from bars and nightclubs in DC, and would
have made underage drinking a criminal offence (it is currently a
civil offense in the District of Columbia.) Under pressure from club
owners and other interests, Graham changed his legislation to only
prohibit people under eighteen from entering such establishments, and
with several critical exceptions.
NYRA President Scott Davidson and Executive Director Alex
Koroknay-Palicz attended a number of work sessions with Councilmember
Graham and others to review and revise the legislation. NYRA was
deeply concerned about the part of the bill that would make underage
drinking a criminal offense. The club owners, on the other hand,
wanted a tougher penalty because they were understandably concerned
about facing punishment for young people drinking in their
establishments. After a heated discussion, NYRA proposed a
compromise, where underage drinking would remain decriminalized in all
of Washington, DC except in licensed bars, clubs & restaurants. This
compromise was incorporated in to the legislation. While it isn’t
perfect, it is much better than what it was initially, and NYRA
considers this a victory.
New Book on Youth Rights
A new book by Dr. Robert Epstein, The Case Against Adolescence:
Rediscovering the Adult in Every Teen, argues that young people are
more competent than most people think. Epstein’s research led him to
the conclusion that teenagers are essentially as competent as adults,
and treating them as children just leads to behavioral problems. NYRA
is very excited about this book, and expects it to enter the canon of
important youth rights literature. Epstein has already attracted some
serious publicity, and we hope that his work will continue to
challenge our society’s preconceived notions about young people. This
book should certainly end up on the bookshelf of any serious youth
rights activist. For more information check out
http://drrobertepstein.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=10&Itemid=29.
NYRA Fundraising Contest
NYRA’s annual fundraising contest, NYRAthon, is underway. The contest
runs through June second, and prizes are awarded to the three
individuals and the chapter that raise the most money. So far the
contest has not yielded the results it has in the past, with only $530
coming in since March second. If you have any money that you are
willing to donate, please visit http://www.youthrights.org/donate.php.
NYRA needs money to keep its office, pay its staff, and continue
fighting for youth rights.
Oblivion Essay Contest
Oblivion, a New York based youth rights organization with ties to
NYRA, is having a youth rights essay contest. You can write an essay
about any youth rights issue you are interested in. The author of the
best essay will win $500. The deadline is August 15th. If you are
interested in participating, please visit oblivion.net.
News from the Web
2007 Youth, 1970 Youth Policies
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=10761
Parents call for ban on homework
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=10751
13-Year-Old Arrested In School For Writing On Desk
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=10713
Teacher accused of quieting students with clothespins
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=10701
Study finds stable personalities unaffected by violent games
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=10670
Judge: District Can't Ban Student Speech
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=10648
Mall Policy Draws Protest From Teens
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=10647
Students rally for their rights
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=10645
High School Pastafarian Suspended Over Eyepatch
http://www.youthrights.org/article.php?threadid=10598
Conclusion
We have a lot to be happy about this month. A new book will
undoubtedly get more people thinking about youth rights and provide
youth rights activists with more arguments and talking points. Thanks
to NYRA, underage drinking will remain a civil offense in the District
of Columbia under most circumstances. The voting age was lowered in
Austria, and with any luck they will set a precedent for the rest of
the world. Please make a donation to keep NYRA running and keep our
youth rights victories coming. Donate here:
http://www.youthrights.org/donate.php.
------NYRA------
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