What happened to children being seen and not heard?

The majority of schools are back open bringing the excitement of new possibilities and new challenges and passion, worry, and surprises.

But there are plenty of "old" news stories and continuing stress on students and their ability to publish and to present their views on a wide range of issues. I don't know why the story was delayed about Northwest HS in Nebraska shutting down the school paper (the Viking Saga) on May 19, which is only getting attention now.

Not only is the Student Press Law Center involved (as we would expect) but coverage has reached the Washington Post and New York Times. The issue that prompted the school to simply shut down the paper? LGBTQIA+ rights, covered in two stories in that May issue. One story was on the history of Pride month and the second piece was an editorial opposing the Parental Rights in Education Law in Florida (known as "Don't Say Gay"). 

Administrators also deleted the journalism class, which makes sense. I mean, as long as we are silencing student voices, let's not allow any vestiges of journalism to remain. 

I'm sure someone will claim that budget limitations are at work here, and others will point out that Nebraska does not have any legal protections for student journalists... but, let's be honest, everyone understands that eliminating a media program is the ultimate form of censorship and punishment and exercising of power.

We can't let those kids challenge any of our Angry White People views on the world, after all. Why can't schools just stick to reading and writing (but only book reports on Dickens) and 'rithmetic? 

There will always be plenty of "self-censorship," which is sad but understandable. Part of living in a functioning society is developing the ability to NOT say something, just as much as learning to make your point clearly and persuasively is important. All publishers make choices and there is so much that could be published and shared, but we just can't cover it all and we don't have the time or energy to even make much of a dent.

I suppose it's good to occasionally see overt acts of censorship, much like it may turn out to be a net positive to have the U.S. Supreme Court just come right out and treat women as second class citizens.

Still, it's shocking to see power used so ruthlessly and so unnecessarily.

But welcome back to school, kids.