billpika_x8 Posted January 9, 2012 Share Posted January 9, 2012 Where do you draw the line, and where can it be restricted? This story recently posted comes to mind. http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/colorado-student-banned-yearbook-over-racy-photo-201606793--abc-news.html The url tells it all. Free expression. Free speech. Can they be restricted in cases such as these? Or should common sense rule? You decide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaana Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 I would say in this case that the school had every right to step in. For no other reason, the yearbook is something bearing the schools name, and will make an impression in regards to the school. The school has a right to decide what "standard" they deem appropriate for it, and what that standard is. I would call this unfair if, and only if, the girl had worn that exact outfit to school and not got in trouble for it - in that case, she wouldn't have known they'd think it unacceptable. But that's just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrtbrk Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 This has absolutely nothing to do with 'freedom of expression' in my opinion and everything to do with one of the editors saying "we're an award winning yearbook." It's about trying to win an award or living up to that standard and nothing more. If there needs to be more proof about that: "They also offered her an opportunity to include the photo in the yearbook, just not as her senior photo." If she's allowed to wear that to school, it should be allowed as her senior photo - wheither they think it will decrease their chances at another ~yearbook award or their books reputation. :rolleyes_anim: Anything for press about their lame book, I guess, because no one really cares and probably wouldn't have noticed until they brought so much attention to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lilshadowdweller Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 It's a yearbook. If the teachers/school deem it inappropriate, it goes. Sorry to say. Schools have rules and we all go with them. -_-;; I had to wear a uniform in my Catholic High School. What freedom of expression is there for that? Am I going to go nuts and claim my rights have been violated? It is her body to use as she pleases but if I were her friend, I'd warn her what I thought of it, and to be honest, my first impression is that she has to wear such an outfit because she lacks self-esteem and needs to get attention. Also, it's sort of an angled shot -- I tend to be weary of those. It makes me think she's hiding her looks purposely to deceive, in a manner; she looks ugly to me or I simply assume angle shots means ugliness. Why else would you need to go on an angle unless you were a model posing? Maybe that's what she's trying to do? I don't know. Wouldn't she want a senior photo showing her in a professional light? However, I will say that if they're willing to let her use the photo, then this whole argument is pointless. If you're going to eventually let her use it, let her use it. Stop the drama. I want to call attention to one final thing: you mentioned "free speech", and I do think there's a limit. See, I see a lot of "hate" speech towards people of the homosexual/transgender/bisexual community. I believe that "hate" speech is not free speech; there's a different. Promoting hating fellow man should never be permitted as it's basically bullying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naamah D. Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 In my high school yearbook, you couldn't have the picture in it, if it wasn't appropriate for school. That's the way it should be. Plus, my mom wouldn't let me do a photo like that. Nor would I want to. Simply because it's not appropriate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hrtbrk Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 If the teachers/school deem it inappropriate, it goes. Sorry to say. Schools have rules and we all go with them. If you read the article the yearbook staff said that they determined it wasn't worthy of their yearbook - the staff/school board were not involved at all, other than informing her it won't be included. The girl and her family are just assuming and accusing the staff of having some sort of involvement. The yearbook staff even said it wasn't a dress code issue (excuse the adminstration gave the girl). It strictly has to do with the yearbooks reputation and/or winning another award. "The five editors, who said their decision was unanimous, said Spies’ blame was misplaced, in both targeting the administration, and believing that it was a dress code issue." It wasn't until they started getting press that the school board backed the editors, probably so their school/district stops looking bad and to help the situation die down. Plus, another award wouldn't hurt, either. In my high school yearbook, you couldn't have the picture in it, if it wasn't appropriate for school. That's the way it should be. But the editors basically alluded to the fact that they don't really care if it's appropriate or not, they just don't want it to be classified as an official senior photo because they think it could hurt their chances at another award. If the school has no dress code that is being enforced, or allows her and others to wear whatever they want it to school (whether you personally think it's appropriate or not) why shouldn't it be allowed in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trig Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 I want to call attention to one final thing: you mentioned "free speech", and I do think there's a limit. See, I see a lot of "hate" speech towards people of the homosexual/transgender/bisexual community. I believe that "hate" speech is not free speech; there's a different. Promoting hating fellow man should never be permitted as it's basically bullying. So I absolutely and 100% agree with the fact that hate speech, is not FREE speech. So thank you :) Also, I personally don't think that photo is appropriate for the yearbook and I do think all photos in a yearbook should agree with school dress code guidelines. But maybe that's just me and maybe I'm whack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welcome Back Apathy Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 In regard to the article you posted, I have this to say... If you send in an article to a newspaper, and they don't put it in, are they suppressing your free speech/expression? No. A publication has the right to pick and choose what it puts in. If there are certain standards, then it does need to live up to those standards--unless the standards are actually discriminatory in any way; for example, if the yearbook decided that non-white students aren't allowed to have their photos taken for their clubs. I know a lot of yearbooks have students submit quotes--if any of the quotes contained profanity, would you say the yearbook has to keep them? I saw this article the other day, and the only thing I had to say was, when I first SAW the picture, it looked like she was topless and simply had a censor bar. I'm sorry, really? As for freedom of speech, I'm for freedom of speech within reason. My limits: 1) Hate speech. Sorry, I'm not a fan of encouraging people to discriminate. 2) Slander. If you purposely spread lies and ruin someone's reputation with lies...not okay. 3) Published/spread lies that could be taken as fact. I'm more talking about public figures, public studies, and things like that. For example, you know those "studies" that said that vaccinations cause autism? Yeah. Completely false, proven to be false, and the person who did the study admitted afterward that it was fraudulent. The person who published that study caused a lot of parents to stop vaccinating, which in turn has caused a lot of deaths. Sooo...yes, publishing lies like that should be illegal. This also goes for public figures who tell lies--IF they say something fraudulent, which is then proven wrong, that person needs to make a public apology for the lie and tell the truth. Last night, Rick Santorum essentially told viewers that contraception causes pregnancy. Okay, clearly no one will believe that...except that some people DO try to believe that, and will actually cite it as fact. Scary, but true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nataluna Posted January 14, 2012 Share Posted January 14, 2012 i agree with free speech not covering hate speech, but its frequently touted as the reason why its "acceptable", not just towards the trans/lesbian/homosexual community but also racial groups and lets not forget that church that goes around saying God hates people. publications have a certain right to edit though. in terms of editing work, as long as it does not alter the spirit of the work, editors have to edit. most newspapers/editorials state that all work submitted may be subject to editing and submission acknowledges that fact. i don't believe that photo is appropriate for a yearbook, i was on my yearbook committee and also ran my dorm housing yearbook for 3 years, and i wouldn't have said yes to that photo for a class yearbook, but perhaps may have accepted it for my dorm yearbook (which was a more informal thing). school yearbooks here are not really so much about the free speech thing, as a formal memento of the year gone. because it does reflect on the school (who is paying for it and putting their name on it) they have a certain right also to protect their own image (even though it was the student council's decision, i feel if it had originally been the schools choice, that would probably have chosen the same) if she wanted that as her facebook photo thats her business (personal publication, although FB gets rights to your photo too), but i think people are too quick to say "oh you won't give me what i want, thats infringing on my rights in some way, so i'm suing you" common sense is a lost thing, its a declaration of my right to express myself by walking around starkers in public or wearing items with offensive material on them, but i think we can all agree its inappropriate (and i would probably get arrested :P) free speech should not be used as an argument for doing anything you feel like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trig Posted January 16, 2012 Share Posted January 16, 2012 I think that if the publication is printing something they have the right to choose what they are going to print. After all, it's not the person they have to be concerned about but the name of their company. That may seem harsh but it's so true. Plus, what if the girl in the above article was severly bullied or hurt because of her 'racy' and 'innapropriate' picture that was placed in the school yearbook and then tried to sue the school for allowing such a picture. These things seem rediculous, but they definitely happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neoskulltula Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Not much of anyone has anything worthwhile to say (including me) so I think the freedom of speech is overrated some. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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