Tinker V Des Moines Freedom Of Speech Analysis

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The Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District case of 1969 was a case regarding the First Amendment. A group of students organized a silent protest against the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands and then being told by the principal that they would be suspended if they continued to wear them. If the freedom to communicate our opinions was really granted to us, the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District case, along with many other cases, would have been an unnecessary fight. We really do not have freedom of speech, hence the restrictions on our speech in many of our environments, the offended reactions and defensive comments towards the statements made by a person, and the arrogation of our speech from …show more content…

According to Scholastic, freedom of speech “entitles American citizens to say what they think, provided they do not intentionally hurt someone else's reputation by making false accusations. Neither may they make irresponsible statements deliberately harmful to others … Freedom of speech enables people to state their opinions openly to try to convince others to change their minds.” Autry did not have the intention of hurting someone else’s reputation with false accusations, nor did he make irresponsible statements to harm others. He merely showed his support for a controversial presidential candidate through the form of a hat, which according to the explanation given from Scholastic, is a right given to him by the First Amendment. Yet, he was forced to remove his …show more content…

Today, it is virtually impossible to make any statement without someone firing back with an offended or a defensive comment. Many would say, “So, just keep it to yourself then.” However, everyone is entitled to their opinion, and in this country, they have the right to express it. Most people are afraid to offend people by what they have to say nevertheless, so they avoid saying it in the first place. “Speech is free, however, similarly to a dog restrained by an electric fence, there is no such thing as freedom of speech. Much like an electric fence, political correctness serves as a restrictive, invisible boundary, avoiding physical restrictions or oppressive censorship, in favor of shocking individuals on a daily basis and reminding them of their boundaries,” explains Justin Onwenu, a high school senior. These boundaries are formed by criticisms and commentaries of the surrounding people and prevent people from using the First Amendment to their

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