The First Amendment

Freedom of speech is one of the most important parts of the First Amendment because it protects the U.S. citizens from being persecuted for stating their opinions. This cartoon is a reaction to the Tinker vs. Des Moines court case, where students were not allowed to wear arm bands for a peaceful protest to the Vietnam War. In this case, the Supreme Court decided that the students' actions could be considered disruptive, and, since it was in a school setting, the school's decision was not a violation of the First Amendment. I agree that if speech is considered disruptive or threatening that the First Amendment does not protect it, however, when students are expressing themselves in a non-violent way, there is no reason to discourage their actions.