Essay on First Amendment: Freedom in Public Schools

Nowadays, it is common for people to have the right to free speech with the progress of societies. People can speak out about what they want to express in public and contribute their thoughts to the community. Thus, the community can create a healthy environment by listening to these efficient suggestions. The definition of free speech is that people can use their right to express information or opinions that do not cause violence to society. In the article “Student sues school District for Banning Anti-War T-Shirt” which was written by Alana Keynes, mentioned that there was a student wearing a T-shirt calling President Bush an “International Terrorist” in Dearborn High School, and the high school punished him by banning this student from wearing an anti-war T-shirt and sending him to home. However, the American Civil Liberties Union sued this high school’s behavior since the ACLU thought that there was no evidence showing the students would cause terrorism by wearing an Anti-War T-shirt. In my opinion, I agree with the ACLU that Dearborn High School should admit this student’s right to wear an anti-war T-shirt because it doesn’t show the student will cause violence by wearing an anti-war T-shirt, other students may not feel unsafe if one student wears an anti-war T-shirt, and students have the right of free speech which is protected by the First Amendment.

The student who wears an anti-war T-shirt does not show any implication that he will cause violence at school. People have the right to wear what they want since each person has a different preference for their clothes, and there is no evidence showing that people who wear clothes with controversial words or pictures will cause terrorism. In Keynes’s essay, she thinks that an anti-war T-shirt will not cause any problems for teachers and other students at school. She claims “[t]here was no evidence the T-shirt caused any disruption at school” (Keynes 582). From this quote, she mentions that the student wearing the anti-war T-shirt does not mean he will cause some terrorism on campus, and his school should not ban him from wearing the anti-war T-shirt since the T-shirt is related to his political ideas and does not show any disruption to his school. In this essay, the student’s intention of wearing an anti-war T-shirt is that he wants to show his political idea about the war between the United States and Iraq, and he may think that it is unnecessary for Bush to start the war since it can make a lot of innocent people die or have psychological problems and kids lose their parents. Thus, the anti-war T-shirt may not promote terrorism. and the school should allow him to wear an anti-war T-shirt.

Students and teachers may not feel they are in a dangerous environment because they will not fight with each other at school when they have different attitudes toward the anti-war T-shirt. We do not know if this is always true, but it appears to be the case in Barber’s situation. At school, it is common for us to see students wearing T-shirts with controversial words or pictures since this is a useful way for them to express their political ideas or information. Also, students and teachers may not fight with each other if they have different thoughts about the anti-war T-shirt even though some of them can feel angry about it. Thus, they can understand the student’s intention to wear an anti-war T-shirt and may not feel they are threatened by the anti-war T-shirt on campus. In Keynes’s essay, she thinks that students will not fight with each other even though they might have opposite thoughts about the anti-war T-shirt at school. She states, “There have been no instances of students causing problems by fighting with each other or teachers over the message conveyed in the T-shirt” (Keynes 582). From this quote, she mentions there is no experience that students will fight with each other or teachers if they have different ideas about the anti-war T-shirt since students have the right to deliver their political speech. Schools are a place where students can have the right to deliver their political speeches because this is a necessary way for them to learn and to become successful in society. Students are willing to accept others’ political opinions even though some of them can feel angry about those speeches. However, they may not fight with each other because political speeches do not offend a person’s race, religion, or culture, but try to express those political ideas. It is possible that people would fight over political ideas, but political ideas also have high protection under the First Amendment. Thus, I think Dearborn High School should permit the student to wear an anti-war T-shirt since it will not make other students and teachers feel dangerous at school.

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Students have the right of free speech which is protected by the First Amendment, so the school cannot prohibit students from wearing an anti-war T-shirt. The student who wears an anti-war T-shirt wants to express his political opinions about the war, and the student has the right of delivering a political speech in public. According to the chapter “Are Limits on Freedom of Speech Ever Justified” which was written by Annette Rottenberg and Donna Winchell, they mention the First Amendment that Congress protects people’s right to free speech since everyone should have the freedom to speak out what they want to express in public. They use the quote from the First Amendment, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free expression thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press” (Rottenberg and Winchell 580). The authors agree with the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States that people should have the freedom to express their ideas or information in public without restrictions, and the First Amendment protects the people’s right to free speech. Thus, the school does not have the right to prohibit the student from wearing an anti-war T-shirt because this student has his right to deliver a political speech which is protected by the First Amendment. The Dearborn High School violates the law of the First Amendment because it does not allow the student to express his political ideas in public, so this high school should agree with the ACLU's attitude which allows this student to wear an anti-war T-shirt.

In spite of this case which the ACLU thinks that the school should not prohibit the student from wearing an anti-war T-shirt, there is another case that the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals decides that the school doesn’t have the right to prohibit two Kentucky students from wearing Confederate T-shirts. In Keynes’ essay, she mentions that school officials ban students from wearing Confederate T-shirts even though they do not have the right to do it. She claims “[t]he 6th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that school officials could not ban two Kentucky students from wearing T-shirts with a picture of the Confederate flag to school” (Keynes 582). From this quote, she mentions that the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals thinks the school officials cannot prohibit two Kentucky students from wearing confederate T-shirts since students have the right to free speech which is protected by the First Amendment. Students who wear Confederate T-shirts want to express their political opinions, so the school officials do not have the right to ban them since students have the right to show what they want in public. Thus, the decision of the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals protects students’ right to free speech which is protected by the First Amendment. Students can wear Confederate T-shirts on campus even though some other students and teachers can feel uncomfortable with the T-shirts. They may feel offended by some students’ political opinions because each person has their own ideas about one thing. However, students have their right to free speech they can wear Confederate T-shirts on campus, and the school officials violate the First Amendment that it should not ban students from wearing Confederate T-shirts since students’ right to free speech is protected by the First Amendment. Thus, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals makes a good decision for the school that it does not have the right to prohibit students from wearing Confederate T-shirts, and the school officials should not ban students from wearing Confederate T-shirts since they don’t have the right to prohibit students from the right of free speech which is protected by the First Amendment.

From my perspective, I think the ACLU’s decision is correct that Dearborn High School should permit the student to wear the anti-war T-shirt on campus. Also, I believe that the 6th Circuit Court makes the good decision that the school officials cannot prohibit students from wearing Confederate T-shirts even though some students and teachers may feel angry about the T-shirts. The reason is that students have the right of expressing their political opinions on campus which is protected by the First Amendment. Nowadays, it becomes more and more popular for people to discuss the topics about the right to free speech. People have the right to express their ideas, and information about one thing to society because their suggestions often can help society become better. At school, Students should know how to protect and use the right of free speech, and they can become braver to express their political ideas on campus since they are members of this community and should contribute their ideas to it. Thus, a school can become a healthier and safer place for students to stay. Also, schools should encourage students to use their right to free speech by speaking out their opinions in public and educate them to use the right of free speech correctly by making them know what topics can be discussed.

Work Cited

1. Keynes, Alana. “Student Sues School District for Banning Anti-War T-shirt.” Elements of Argument, 8th ed. Ed Annette Rottenberg and Donna Winchell. New York: Bedford, 2006. 582-583.
2. Annette Rottenberg and Donna Winch. “Are Limits on Freedom of Speech Ever Justified.” Elements of Argument, 8th ed. Ed Annette Rottenberg and Donna Winchell. New York: Bedford, 2006. 580-581.