Free Speech Vietnam War

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At what point should free speech be considered disruptive? Even during the Vietnam War, this question has lingered in the minds of many. Previous court cases detail how challenging it may be when approaching a free speech case. In the Tinker v. Des Moines trial, a group of students were suspended from school for wearing black armbands to form a silent protest for a truce in the Vietnam War. In the Morse v. Frederick case, a student was suspended for holding up a sign that promoted the marijuana usage, in Jesus’ name. The difference between the two court cases are their outcome, which gives a fair statement on where the line should be drawn in terms of free speech compromising the organization’s goals, or compromising safety. Recently, US college …show more content…
Many people call safe spaces childish and coddling, while others believe that safe spaces are also a restriction on everyone’s ability to speak freely, implying that safe spaces become common. What about those who abuse their right to free speech by intentionally offending someone? Many common forms of discrimination still exist in this world, and will probably never face eradication, regardless of immense effort dedicated to ending it. On the other hand, censorship is one of the most troublesome issues in today’s world. Many countries, including Eritrea and Cuba, face incredible levels of censorship. This prevents people’s ability to speak their mind without fear of prosecution, and forces them to see world news from just one side. A solution to this dilemma on free speech is forming a congress on campus that collectively determines what speech requires disciplinary …show more content…
Des Moines trial, a group of students were suspended from school for wearing black armbands to form a silent protest for a truce in the Vietnam War. The Supreme Court decided that this suspension was a violation of the students’ right to free speech given to them through the First Amendment. As stated on the Oyez article on this case, Des Moines School District’s actions were based on fear of this free speech causing a disruption. This motive was shown to be unreasonable, as wearing a black armband to support a cause did not prove to be disruptive. The free speech used here was stifled to prevent any disturbance. The idea of silent protests by wearing something simple to support a cause is an easy way to get past the limitations that a school district
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