BrookSpeak

Detention, suspension, expulsion and so on, all are general punishments for cursing except at two Hartford, Connecticut public schools.

The schools have taken an approach to profanity control that no other schools have yet to try. Students at the two schools will be fined $103 for cursing. This rule came into action when the schools along with the local police agreed on a way to control the excessive cursing.

‘You can find ways to say what you want to say in proper language� said Junior Marieme Dieye. The main idea of the fine’s supporters seems to be that although the fine violates the students’ first amendment right, it should be enacted so to teach young people when and where certain words are appropriate.

“If you swear in school, we punish you anyways, you can’t argue for no punishment [although] it’s a little steep,� said English teacher John Kane. Opinions on the fine have split debaters into three groups, those in agreement, opposers and undecided.

On one side, the argument is that the fine does not violate student’s first amendment rights so much as it teaches them that there is no freedom of consequence. The supporters agree that a student’s choice of words should be appropriate in whatever context; for example, it would be unwise to yell “Damn� or “Hell� in a place of worship.

“I don’t think it’s a violation because it’s a school building there’s a certain level of behavior expected,� said Kane. There is also an argument that the school system has temporary power over students’ rights while they are on school grounds.

“Schools have the right to go against the amendment, [we] can’t talk about religion in school� said Senior Kevin Saint-Ellie. The line of reasoning for fining cursers is so similar to that of banning religious discussion in schools that the outcome may be the same and the fine will stand.

“It’s wrong, you can’t do [anything] about it, [students] want to be ignorant, then let them be ignorant� said Senior Tiffany Cotton. Like Tiffany, the opposition presents the point that students have the right to chose in which way they express themselves, and that right should not be compromised. However, the opposition also points out that swear words are not necessarily dangerous words. As students change the meanings of the infamous b-words and n-words, those words are then brought up in discussions and greeting, not to be offensive but progressive.

The fine controversy has only hit Pebblebrook in , for stuthe form of a debatedents at the Hartford, Connecticut school, the fine is an ongoing reality. There hasn’t been any publicized documents inkling that the fine idea is heading to Pebblebrook, however, students should probably be more careful about what they say on campus from this point on.