In the Name Of God

Life Site News published an article in 2006 of a high school valedictorian who was giving her speech at graduation when her microphone was abruptly cut off. The student was about to thank God. School officials, “who knew it was coming, cut off the microphone before they or anyone else could hear it” (www.LifeSiteNews.com). The controversy is whether the action taken by the school denied the student of her civil rights, or, because it was a school-sponsored event if they had the right and maybe even the duty to do so in order to avoid offending anyone. On one hand, an audience of diverse families and friends came to this graduation to celebrate academic achievements, not to hear about God. On the other hand, let’s take a look at the Grammy’s, the Oscar’s, and any other “big-time” award show. How many times have you heard actors and singers “thank God” for where they are in their lives? And think about how much bigger that audience is than the audience that attended the Foothill High 2006 graduation that day. Again in this article, the writer appears to take a slight bias. More quotes arguing why this act denied the valedictorian her right to freedom of speech suggest that the writer is also in opposition of the school’s cutting off the girl’s speech.

<http://www.lifesit.net/ldn/2006/jun/0602022.html%3E