After Ken Paulson's presentation today, I often found myself reflecting back on the points he made. I still am frustrated that I was one of the nine in ten that couldn't name all five freedoms in the First Amendment (although I imagine I'll never forget the right to petition again). I am stunned by the story behind, and the powerful nature of, the song "Society's Child" and hope to use it to teach my students about the power of rights and the power of language. I also can't wait to tell my students who read The Curfew and 1984 about the power of the printing press and how lucky we are that from the beginning (1997) the Supreme Court protected free speech on the Internet.
Learning that even George Washington tried to avoid the "infamous scribes" of the press, I was reminded of a video I stumbled across recently called "Reality Show President: Inside the White House PR Machine." This video looks at how the Obama administration controls the images that leave the White House and how this prevents the press from keeping an eye on the government. It seems that when those in power have the power to control their image, it may just be one more way that fear is affecting our freedoms.
Kari Koshiol
Benilde-St. Margaret's
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Thanks for posting this video.
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