There were many issues discussed during the American Democracy Project, both by students and panelists alike. The main subject was the Constitution and different amendments therein. Issues discussed included the right to bear arms, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of speech and the Constitution as a whole.

As you may remember, there was a great debate over the Second amendment in the 2000 election because of the recent school shootings. This turned into a debate on federal gun control. But the question is: Should the government have the right to regulate gun control? Militia was also discussed as part of the amendment. I especially liked one student’s response to this discussion. He said that, “We should have the right to protect ourselves and our families. It is not guns that kill people, people kill people.”

Freedom of speech and of the press were then discussed as students expressed their opinions on the subject. Panelist Kevin Teets made the statement, “Free press is important and we should fight for that right.”

Freedom of religion ended up being one of the most debated issues, as many students stood and expressed their opinion on the subject. This question was asked to panelist Dr. David Coffee, who said that the Constitution “makes no specific mention of separation of church and state, it is just implied.”

Freedom of religion gives everyone, no matter what their religion, the chance to worship however they please without fear or tyranny, or one person forcing their religion on another. A public school cannot mandate religious expression, however; it does not prevent students from praying or reading their Bible in school if that is what they choose to do. One panelist said that, “It is not the state’s responsibility to make up for parents’ shortcomings as far as religious beliefs go.”

One student asked if the removal of the Ten Commandments is an attack on religion. The panelists’ response to this was that the Ten Commandments “are not a universal belief. They tend to be identified with Christianity and therefore may be offensive to others of different religions.” But they also said that “no one is infringing on your right to pray or worship as you please. No one will come to your home or church and tell you how to worship. But in a public place one group’s religion cannot be overly established due to the separation of church and state law, which was established by precedent.”

One student said that “religion is about maturity. We have the right to choose how we believe.”

Responses to the American Democracy Project as a whole varied. Freshman Jamie Pigg said she “didn’t really get that much out of it.” But others enjoyed the experience. Freshman Gary Mason said that the discussion “gave me a positive outlook on the Constitution. I learned a lot.”