Essay On First Amendment In School

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Imagine losing the ability to say a common vocabulary during school, a place where most spend a large amount of time in. Imagine suspensions for using the now forbidden word because a pledge that all students must abide by was written and given to each and every student. This idea of a pledge that takes away from students and even teachers should not be utilized in schools. Since the creation of the Bill of Rights in 1791, the First Amendment--the Freedom of Speech--has been in place to protect those who have differentiating opinions from the majority. The Amendment allows for freedom of religion as well as expression.The amendment in school, however, is slightly different; public schools are “to create an informed citizenry capable of self-governance …show more content…
While yes, children should not wear shirts hailing Hitler or using the N-word, there are less offensive apparel that many kids today tend to wear; whether it relates to a television show, a video game, or a band. Music, too, can be very provocative and aggressive; the pledge would require students not to listen to certain songs and bands on their personal phones as it could be deemed belligerent. The first amendment is then put into place. The First Amendment allows students to speak their minds as long as it is not disrupting the peace of the school. In one of the most controversial cases, the 1969 Tinker v. Des Moines case involved students wearing black armbands that protested the Vietnam War; the school tried suspending them, but the court ruled that the speech in question must “‘materially and substantially disrupt the work and discipline of the school’” (Clarence Thomas is Right). If the students a Des Moines were rioting and were attacking other students, then they would not have stood a chance in court as they were demonstrating disruptive behavior; but they were peaceful and, although had a minority opinion, still had their rights

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