Youth and the First Amendment

1173 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Censorship in high schools

Youth and the First Amendment Many freedom of speech and expression issues that receive media attention have to do with the adult population and what they feel their rights are. What many fail to recognize is the fact that the youth today are also dealing with freedom of speech and expression issues in their own lives. The freedom of speech and expression issues that young people deal with are just as important and are handled in the same manner as any other freedom of speech issue. Three articles from The Associated Press deal with freedom of speech and expression of middle and high school aged young people. These articles shed light on what types of First Amendment issues the youth today are dealing with. In one article students were punished by the school for passing out candy canes at school that had religious messages attached. This has become an issue of freedom of speech for these high school students. They feel as though they are not able to express their beliefs in school because it violates school rules. At this particular school students are not able to pass out anything unless it relates to a school activity, or to the curriculum (www.freedomforum.org/templates/documentID=17463). The passing out of candy canes and religious messages was in violation of the school’s rules. This case proposes a couple of problems. The students want to be able to express themselves through the religious messages attached to the candy canes. They claim that because they handed the candy canes out at a time when it did not interfere with class it was not inappropriate. Because these students were prohibited from handing the candy canes out they feel as though their right to freedom of speech rights have been violated. ... ... middle of paper ... ...pertain to individuals of a certain age and that makes it unique. Not only do young people have these rights, but also they are aware of them. Many students know their rights and they exercise them daily. In each of these cases the students are fighting for their rights and what they believe in. Works Cited Associated Press. “Students Suspended For Passing Out Candy Canes Sue School.” Freedom Forum. (January 2003). 28 Jan. 2003 http://freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=17463 Associated Press. “Students Told to Remove Confederate Clothing.” Freedom Forum. (October 2002). 28 Jan. 2003 http://freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=17162 Associated Press. “Oregon Teen Expelled Over Off-Color Web Sites Sues School.” Freedom Forum. (January 2003). 28 Jan. 2003http://freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=17492

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Greg Lukianoff And Haidt's The Coddling Of The American Mind

    1122 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout America, people place a high value in their freedom of speech. This right is protected by the first Amendment and practiced in communities throughout the country. However, a movement has recently gained momentum on college campuses calling for protection from words and ideas that may cause emotional discomfort. This movement is driven mainly by students who demand that speech be strictly monitored and punishments inflicted on individuals who cause even accidental offense. Greg Lukianoff and Johnathan Haidt discuss how this new trend affects the students mentally and socially in their article The Coddling of the American Mind published in The Atlantic Monthly. Lukianoff and Haidt mostly use logical reasoning and references to

    Read More

  • Hazelwood Vs. Kuhlmeier Case Study

    1618 Words  | 4 Pages

    Everyone in America, from adults to students have freedom of speech. This freedom is provided by the first amendment. In the case Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, students fights for the freedom of speech in their school newspaper. One side of the case was three students who thought their free speech was violated and the other side was the principal defending the school. After the court's decision, this case had a big impact on the school and many other people. Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier talks about students not giving up their freedom of speech in a school setting.

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Tinker V Des Moines

    1154 Words  | 3 Pages

    The case also states “A prohibition against expression of opinion, without any evidence that the rule is necessary to avoid substantial interference with school discipline or the rights of others, is not permissible under the First and Fourteenth Amendments” (Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District). Because the students didn 't necessarily disrupt the education process, their First Amendment freedom of speech should not have been violated by the school officials.

    Read More

  • We are Free to Be You, Me, Stupid and Dead by Roger Rosenblatt

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    Freedom of speech has been a controversial issue throughout the world. Our ability to say whatever we want is very important to us as individuals and communities. Although freedom of speech and expression may sometimes be offensive to other people, it is still everyone’s right to express his/her opinion under the American constitution which states that “congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or the press”. Although this amendment gave people the right express thier opinions, it still rests in one’s own hands as how far they will go to exercise that right of freedom of speech.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On The First Amendment

    1303 Words  | 3 Pages

    There have been many cases where exceptions have been made over the first amendment, such as in the Tinker vs. Des Moines Community School District Case. Teenagers by the name of Christopher Eckhardt and Mary Beth Tinker had planned to wear black armbands to their school to show their support for a truce in the Vietnam War. When word reached the principle, of Christopher and Mary Beth’s plan to arrive with the black armbands, the principal created a policy stating that, “any student wearing an armband would be asked to remove it, with refusal to do so resulting in suspension.” (The Oyez Project). After being kicked out of school, Tinker’s parents sued them but their case was dismissed due to the fact that the first amendment does not grant one the right to express their opinion at any place nor at any time. Another official claimed that the first amendment is not fully guaranteed to children. While the first amendment may be a boon to the United States, it is not always just. There are limitations, and conditions surrounding the first amendment and our freedom of speech. In Tinker’s case, her armband was seen as disruptive, and distracting to other students, justifying the school’s actions against the student of suspending and eventually expelling

    Read More

  • First Amendment In Public Schools

    911 Words  | 2 Pages

    Separation of church and state is an issue in the forefront of people’s minds as some fight for their religious freedoms while others fight for their right to not be subjected to the religious beliefs of anybody else. Because public schools are government agencies they must operate under the same guidelines as any other government entity when it comes to religious expression and support, meaning they cannot endorse any specific religion nor can they encourage or require any religious practice. This issue becomes complicated when students exercise their right to free speech by expressing their religious beliefs in a school setting. An examination of First Amendment legal issues that arise when a student submits an essay and drawing of a religious

    Read More

  • The Importance of The Bill of Rights in Society Today

    621 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Amendment I of the Bill of Rights is often called “the freedom of speech.” It provides a multitude of freedoms: of religion, of speech, of the press, to peacefully assemble, to petition the government. Religious freedom is vitally important to this day because it eliminates the problem of religious conflicts. Historically, many people died for their beliefs because their government only allowed and permitted one religion. T...

    Read More

  • Free Speech Zones

    1906 Words  | 4 Pages

    Hall, K. (2002, September 13). Free speech on public college campuses overview. Retrieved from http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/free-speech-on-public-college-campuses

    Read More

  • Reflections On The First Amendment

    1819 Words  | 4 Pages

    The First Amendment Center conducts a national annual survey on the First Amendment. “Americans clearly have mixed views of what First Amendment freedoms are and to whom they should fully apply. To me the results of this year’s survey endorse the idea of more and better education for young people - our nation’s future leaders - about our basic freedoms.” (Gene Policinski, VP and executive director of the First Amendment Center 2007)

    Read More

  • Censorship In School Dress Code

    897 Words  | 2 Pages

    Censorship even extends to school dress codes. A school dress code is a set of rules about what clothing may or may not be worn in schools. As previously mentioned, a set of criteria are used to determine whether or not student expression should be censored in schools. For censorship involving dress codes, there are two: the “Tinker disruption standard” and the “forum issue,” which determine if student expression disrupts the school day and by who it is regulated, respectively (Emert). One case involving censorship of the school dress code was of a boy who violated his school’s dress code (Nguyen). Zachary Guiles, a thirteen year old boy, had to cover up his shirt denigrating former President George W. Bush, which violated his First Amendment rights (Nguyen). The shirt showed President Bush’s head on a chicken with derogatory names. It had images of oil rigs and lines of cocaine (Nguyen). A student, who had opposite views as Guiles, notified the administration of the shirt (Nguyen). Guiles was sent home on May 13, 2004, when he didn’t cover up the shirt after being asked to. The next day, Guiles’ wore the shirt, which was covered with tape and the word ‘censored’ was written on the tape (Nguyen). The school which Guiles attended, Williamstown Middle High School in Vermont, said that the shirt violated the dress code. Guiles’ parents felt that their son’s “rights to engage in political speech” were violated, and they sued the school (Nguyen). Guiles did not win the lawsuit in December 2004, when the US District Court for Vermont ruled in favor of the school, saying the images were “’plainly offensive and inappropriate’” (Nguyen). Guiles appealed, and the Second Circuit court ruled that the images were not offensive an...

    Read More

  • 'Protecting Freedom Of Expression On The Campus' By Derek Bok

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus” by Derek Bok, published in Boston Globe in 1991, is an essay about what we should do when we are faced with expressions that are offensive to some people. The author discusses that although the First Amendment may protect our speech, but that does not mean it protects our speech if we use it immorally and inappropriately. The author claims that when people do things such as hanging the Confederate flag, “they would upset many fellow students and ignore the decent regard for the feelings of others” (70). The author discusses how this issue has approached Supreme Court and how the Supreme Court backs up the First Amendment and if it offends any groups, it does not affect the fact that everyone has his or her own freedom of speech. The author discusses how censorship may not be the way to go, because it might bring unwanted attention that would only make more devastating situations. The author believes the best solutions to these kind of situations would be to

    Read More

  • Essay On Des Moines Independent Community Schools

    579 Words  | 2 Pages

    On the other hand, students have the right to speak out for what they believe in without having any interference; they have the right to voice their opinion. This protection is all due to the first amendment protection. The first amendment protects the students and also the teachers’ freedom of speech, that includes during and out of school. With the protection of the first amendment no person is able to violate your right to freedom of speech. Any pers...

    Read More

  • Justice Fortas And Tinker V. Des Moines Case

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    Fortas’s opinion included exceptional support and evidence behind his argument. Fortas begins his argument by expressing how the act of the students wearing armbands is protected under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment. In his opinion he says, “The District Court recognized that the wearing of an armband for the purpose of expressing certain views is

    Read More

  • First Amendment Rights In School Essay

    1139 Words  | 3 Pages

    Which include danger to the school or any of the students and this should be the only way teachers and schools can restrict students’ rights. but schools tend to go too far restricting students’ rights “The principal had ordered the stories removed from the paper because he believed the story about teen pregnancy was inappropriate for some of the younger students at the school, based on its discussion of sexual activity and birth control”(What are the free expression rights of students in public schools under the First Amendment?) a student though that this was appropriate for the school to read and it was but the officials at the school did not think the same way. also another case Bazaar v. Fortune officials tried to stop publication of a book just because it had a few words in it that they did not like.(The First Amendment and Public Schools) this is taking there restrictions just too far. The government should be able to set guidelines of what the immediate danger is and what kind of expression goes way too far and have it sent out to all the schools in the United States. This might help schools from restricting our

    Read More

  • The Catcher In the Rye Should Not be Banned

    793 Words  | 2 Pages

    Not only do First Amendment rights apply to adults, but they apply to all United States citizens, including teenagers. According to The Library Bill of Rights, "Freedom of expression is an inalienable right and the foundation for self-government. Freedom of expression encompasses the freedom of speech and the corollary right to receive information. These rights extend to minors as well as adults. . .  rights of users who are minors shall in no way be abridged," (Fricke).

    Read More

More about Youth and the First Amendment

Open Document