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12-15-08
Mt. Vernon students attend 217th anniversary celebration of Bill of Rights at St. Paul's Church
    Over 150 students, half from Mount Vernon High School, and the other half from Woodlands High School in Hartsdale, attended the 217th anniversary of the Bill of Rights at St. Paul's Church in Mount Vernon on Monday, December 15.
     The yearly event was once again organized and sponsored by the New York Civil Liberties Union, Lower Hudson Valley Chapter, led by Arlene Popkin, Chair and Linda S. Berns, Director.
     The field trip was highly anticipated by both groups of students and staff, since the celebratory program included a debate revolving around Internet privacy and censorship issues taking place today.
     The students were well versed in advance by their teachers on the history of Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site, since not only is it the only surviving colonial church in New York, but the site on which it stands is associated with the fight for freedom of the press.
     In 1733, John Peter Zenger began the New York Weekly Journal and published an account of a controversial election that was held in front of the church, outlining the misdeeds of certain officials. He continued to publish satirical articles about corrupt officials and was eventually tried for libel in 1735.
     Zenger's lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, argued that Zenger could not be found guilty of libel because he had published the truth. The jury agreed and found him innocent, and this ruling was the basis for the First Amendment, adopted in 1791, after the American Revolution, to guarantee freedom of the press. The Bill of Rights Museum, in the former parish hall, has exhibits on the Zenger trial, the First Amendment, and church history.
     Opening remarks came from Popkin, who later introduced Davis Osborn, Director of Saint Paul's Church National Historic Site and Mount Vernon Mayor Clinton I. Young to the students.
     As is customary every year at St. Paul's, ten students were pre-selected and read each amendment under the Bill of Rights.
     During the opening comments from guest speakers, some of the students were visibly bored - some were spotted dosing off. But, when Popkin introduced Pace Law School Professor, Ralph Stein, and Chris Hansen, Senior Counsel, First Amendment Working Group, ACLU, the room came to life, since both of them opened a debate concerning Internet First Amendment rights.
     One of the greatest free-speech advantages the Internet provides is the ability to broadcast material from all over the world to all over the world. And that is what most students do in today's era.  It is unlike handing out pamphlets, in that one can disseminate his or her grievances, concerns or other beliefs to a potentially large audience. The Supreme Court in Reno v. ACLU (1997), said that, by using the Internet, “any person with a phone line can become a town crier with a voice that resonates farther than it could from any soapbox.”
     Anonymity is also an option for the Internet user on a Web site, newsgroup, chat room, Web log or message board. And with anonymity may come an increased ability to criticize other people, corporations, public officials, universities - and increased boldness in doing so. At the same time, more criticism may bring unforeseen lawsuits - and when online criticism (anonymous or not) strays over the line into libel, a lawsuit may result.
     During the lively and long debate, many of the students voiced concerns - especially when discussing the issue of censorship.
     Causing much buzz and excitement was the presentation of awards to the winners of the Bill of Rights Essay Contest.

     Near the end of the ceremony, awards were presented to the winners of the NYCLU lower Hudson Valley chapter's Bill of Rights Contest. I16 essays and poems were entered from high school students in the lower Hudson Valley region. The following is a list of the winners:

• Grand Prize: Allen Lipson

• Second Tier Prizes: (Essay) - Anuradha Lingala and (Poetry) - Christopher La Vigna

• Third Tier Prizes: (Essay) - Molly McBride and (Poetry) - Alyssa Miller

     Many of the students left St. Paul's feeling confident the the Bill of Rights will continue to protect them, since throughout the years, it has served the likes of hippies and cowboys. It even allows protest and gun ownership - both without fear of government prosecution. And most importantly, the First Amendment specifically prohibits the government from making any law to “abridge” freedom of speech or of the press.

  Woodlands High School students taking a tour of the museum

Students filing into St. Paul's Church

A student reading a Bill of Rights amendment

             Mount Vernon High school students sitting in their private pews

Professor Ralph Stein

Chris Hansen

Arlene Popkin