Children's Rights

I read an article in the Tribune today on how kids don't' have the right to protest in schools. In a school in West Chicago, students were upset because their school play got cancelled and they petitioned to be able to have the production. I think this is fantastic, but most adults don't. In fact, because of certain adults, children do not have any rights in this country.

I really like this generation of teenagers. They are amazing multi-taskers and are much more socially aware than my generation was. As a collective whole, the majority are accepting of peers from other nationalities, religions, races and sexual orientations. It's too bad that adults today don't' give a flying crap about this and are too concerned with taking away their freedoms.

High schools today are like minimum security prisons. There are dress codes, behavior regulations and their right to have art and music as part of the curriculum is pretty much history. Teenagers have to ask permission to take a dump and can't take Pepto Bismol without a doctor's note. These rules may all be for the safety of the students (or adults for that matter) but it looks like these students have had enough. And it's about time!!!!

I've heard people say that these rules have been in place for years and teenagers should just shut up and deal with it like all the other teenagers before them. Just because a rule has been in place for 20 years doesn't make it a right. I'm so glad teenagers today are realizing this and doing something about it.

Some rules and regulations are outdated and ineffective. Dress codes are lame and kids are going to be in gangs whether they have a school uniform or not. And all the kids know who is in which gang. The colors or numbers on their T-shirts are irrelevant.

Adults on the school board are taking away extracurricular activities and then wondering why kids loiter around doing nothing. Stop taking away programs like jazz band and watch as this problem instantly dissolves!

Teenagers also are losing their right to have a drivers license. Some states are raising the age limit. (Of course they are going to get into more accidents. They've only been driving a short time!) Children can't do anything until they are 18. They can't make their own medical decisions. They can't vote. They can't have their own checking account. Many teenagers are responsible enough for these privileges, therefore, the option should be open to them.

Teenagers understand that taking away their rights at school is detrimental to their lives. Why don't 40-year-olds? And when teenagers stand up for themselves and demand to have the drama department back, they are rewarded with detention.

5 to 10 years from now, I see these kids rejecting corporate jobs and creating their own non-profit organizations. Their networking skills are spectacular, thanks to Facebook and MySpace. They already have the life experience to do some great PR for their businesses, not to mention they are ALL great at sending out memos!

Teenagers and younger children today are not learning exceptional values from today's adults. In my opinion, all they are learning is that they are second class citizens who should be seen and not heard. I'm not sure what adults are trying to teach kids when they take away their activities, criticize the amount of time they spend networking and getting acquainted with technology and then call them all illiterate and lazy.

However, I'm glad today's teenagers aren't buying into this crap are are fighting to have their rights back. It's time we stop punishing them for acting like responsible citizens.