The Rocket

Issue date: 3/30/07 Section: Opinion

A hot topic in the news lately is the court case of Morse v. Frederick, or more commonly known as the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case. This is a case regarding a high school senior displaying a sign across from his high school that stated "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" when the Olympic torch passed through his hometown. When the school administration caught wind of it, they forced him to take it down, and then suspended him for 10 days.

Logically, this case should not even be up for debate. The principal obviously violated the student's First Amendment rights when she made him take the sign down, and then suspended him. A lower court decided that the sign did not cause a disruption. It was also displayed off of school grounds during a non-school-sponsored event. The jurisdiction of the school ended at the schoolhouse gate. The student was in violation of no school rule, and was simply exercising his free speech rights.

The sad part about this whole situation is that the Supreme Court may actually rule in favor of the school district, therefore setting a dangerous precedent that gives school systems the ability to legally censor anything that they deem to be 'inappropriate,' whether this 'inappropriate' speech occurs on or off school campuses.

I don't think enough people are angry about this.

Not only do we put up with illegal wiretaps, we put up with schools censoring students whenever they please.

Just because we're scared of the terrorists, and just because we're offended by something does not mean that we, as a country, should simply shrug off the First Amendment, or any other amendments, for that matter.

Our free speech rights are threatened every day by the government, as well as other people in power, and it is our duty, as Americans, to defend the right that many have died to protect.

And to say that an organization that protects our rights, such as the ACLU, is anti-American and that they support terrorism is an ignorant and outrageous accusation. The ACLU is here for one reason, and one reason only: to protect our civil liberties.

Without a watchdog organization, government officials get away with many illegal activities. Without concerned citizens, there is no watchdog, and there is no resistance.

There is a reason that the terrorists hate us, and free speech plays into that. To vanquish our rights, simply to protect ourselves from them, is giving in.

I suppose that some people, however, don't ever say things that could be considered offensive. To them, free speech is not necessary because they never say anything. They don't have thoughts of their own, and they're boring, middle-of-the-road people who adhere to whatever ideology is popular at the time.

It's time for a change.

We need to become a country of thinkers. A country of people who are unafraid to say what they want, and willing to fight for the rights that protect that speech. Complacency and apathy is leading us on a downward spiral that can only be reversed with education, and the motivation to do what is right.

Lisbeth Wells-Pratt is a freshman undeclared major and a regular contributor to The Rocket.

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