freedom .. or anarchy?

There was just the one assembly today, but the theme remained the same.

This month's 'value' along at the primary school is that of having a positive attitude.

Week by week the head explains the value and works it through with the children. Today he told them a couple of simple stories - one about a little girl whose dream was that one day she'd really be able to skip: the other about a middle-aged man who couldn't read or write and decided it was time that he could.

It was more, I suppose, of the your-attitude-determines-your-altitude stuff. Aim high, think big, and .. well, go for it. Adopt a positive attitude.

As I've said before, I always enjoy being along at the school each week. Today was no different at all.

It's the other school I visit (albeit a good deal less frequently), though, which was in the news today. The local secondary school made the pages today of one of Scotland's tabloids.

Something rather different from a positive attitude lies behind what has been going on. At least on the part of some pupils. 'Allegedly', I think I'm meant to say.

Here's a quick guide as to what's supposedly been going on.

A new head teacher arrives. Back in October, I think it was she started.

In the eyes of at least some of the pupils she soon proves to be too strict for their liking.

Facebook comes to their rescue. Encouraged perhaps by the success not so long ago of a 'Facebook' campaign in regard to an exam which was viewed by the pupils as way too hard, some pupils launch a brand new FB 'group' calling for a new head teacher.

Facebook being what it is, of course, the FB 'group' soon becomes a band-wagon. And since anyone can say what they want on the 'book', all sorts of different comments are soon being posted there.

Some of them almost libellous.

The new head teacher finds out and is (understandably) none too chuffed. Would you be?

She phones the parents of those involved and speaks with the pupils themselves, requiring that the 'group' be removed from Facebook.

Some of the parents are now none too chuffed and think she's over-reacting. Presumably some of the pupils too.

And next thing you know the whole thing's in the tabloids for the rest of the world to read.

Some people are plainly saying that a mountain has been made out of a mole-hill. I'm not so sure I agree.

I've not met the head all that much. I'm not a teacher or a pupil at the school. I don't have children there. So I'm not perhaps that qualified to say that much.

For what it's worth, I happen to think the new head teacher is actually very good: I've been much impressed by the little I've seen. Firm, yes: and strong on basic discipline, yes. And so far as I'm concerned, that's no bad thing.

But I don't think that's the nub of the matter at all. The issue is not how good or bad the new head teacher is.

The issue is really 'authority'. And the sort of respect that's given to such authority.

Freedom does not mean you have the license to be saying just exactly what you like.

But you wouldn't have guessed that if ever you dip into Facebook. You get the impression from much that is written on Facebook that many presume they can say just whatever they like: use whatever language they like: target whoever they like.

One 'angry parent' quoted in the paper said - "It might have been a bit embarassing for her [I'm thinking, might have been..?] but unfortunately everything is on the internet now."

Er, yes. That's the nature of Facebook. It's up there for the whole wide world to see.

You're entitled to your private opinions. Sometimes, though, they're best kept private. They don't need to be voiced abroad.

Freedom, I repeat, is not a license to say just what you like. That's anarchy.

Freedom has bounds.

And in terms of our speech, and what we both say and write, here are the bounds that we're given.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Freedom involves restraint. That sort of restraint.

And it applies to the likes of Facebook as much as anywhere else. An awful lot of damage - and I may say an awful lot of hurt - would have been completely avoided had those simple bounds to our freedom been observed by the folk concerned.

But that, I guess, is one of the problems we face in our society today.

We don't have freedom, really, any more. It's more and more like anarchy.

When the kingdom of God disappears, the law of the jungle prevails.