For America’s youth, freedom of speech just got a little less free.
WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Supreme Court ruled against a former high school student Monday in the “Bong Hits 4 Jesus” banner case — a split decision that limits students’ free speech rights. [CNN.com]
It all started back in 2002 in Juneau, Alaska during a Salt Lake City Olympics torch run. Students raised the controversial poster just as a joke. The school administration took it seriously and saw it as promoting drug use.
“I find it absurdly funny,” he [Joseph Frederick] said. “I was not promoting drugs. … I assumed most people would take it as a joke.”
The school’s attorney in the case was the infamous Kenneth Starr who led the impeachment of Bill Clinton. Keep in mind this is a public school, and not a private one. The time it happened the students were outside of the school, but on a field trip. Shouldn’t we be allowed to say what we want as long as it’s not hurting anyone safety? I get why schools don’t allow shirts with guns on it, but c’mon this is going too far.
NOTE: Student rights while in school will be discussed this Friday at 5pm pacific (8pm eastern) on the Think Youth Live Podcast.
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