Question:
Have you guys read the story of 15 yr old Katie Sierra? The one who is trying to start an Anarchy in her Virginian school? She's against war, and she made at-shirt that says: "When I saw the dead and dying Afghani children on TV, I felt a newly recovered sense of national security. God Bless America."

The judge in Virgina said that its a disruption and then she was suspended from school, now isnt that hypocritical. A girl who is practicing her freedom of speech that they say everyone in America is entitled to is punished for it. Her freedom of speech is being violated and i bet many of ours will be violated too. I mean if we cant excercise our freedom of speech, without hurting any one, then be punished for it, then what f*ck is the 1st Amendment and Bill of Rights for?

Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I think its pretty stupid, and i'm tryna get in touch with her so what do u guys think about it? I really want to know what u guys think about this, so write and take this poll.......

Choices:
The judge was right, its a disruption
She wasnt justified to do what she did, but her punishment was not needed
Freedom of Speech should be entitled to anyone
She has a right to her freedom of speech and the judge should not take it away
Who kares.......

 

our freedom of speech was written in the bill of rights so that we the people have a voice but really does katie know what she is getting into? i see that as a violation of the right that all persons are equal.
dying afgan children are not the source of terrorism in the united states. that is the label we put on the people who come from the middle east. we slapped them with a huge "terrorist" lable. that is not a matter of freedom of speech but more of discrimination. the oaklahoma city bombing wasnt the result of foreign terrorism but a caucasian male....a citizen of the united states.
did she really think she was going to get away with wearing that shirt in school? come on now have at least some common sense. yes there is good and bad, right and wrong. terrorism is wrong and so is discriminaton.
when you speak out it should be somthing that matters not that speaking out about terrorism and our national security doesnt matter, but you should be more educated than that to have a statement such as that put on a shirt.
freedoms are for the wellbeing of the country, and i dont think that statement is for the wellbeing of anyone.

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and welcome to kiss my @$$!

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Finally, I personally believe that freedom of speech as a right should only be given to those literate enough to use it wisely and correctly - thus all you idiots who do not know how to either spell or use spell check should not have the right, privilege or ability to post any opinion whatsoever!

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Whoa. Fascist much?

Freedom of speech is a guaranteed right to those of age 18 or older, as are all the other Constitutional rights. This means that as a minor, you are under the authority of teachers, parents and other adults who have rights - including the right to discipline you should you be "disruptive" or whatever. Their discipline does not interfere with or take away your rights, because you have none! Now this may or may not seem fair to you, but its the way the government is set up, and I promise you it is a hell of a lot better here than anywhere else. Granted, I personally believe that antiwar shirts, slogans, comments, etc. from students should be welcome in schools because personal choice is important. But, the personal choice of the administration is important as well, and just happens to be more important in most cases. Finally, I personally believe that freedom of speech as a right should only be given to those literate enough to use it wisely and correctly - thus all you idiots who do not know how to either spell or use spell check should not have the right, privilege or ability to post any opinion whatsoever! And any one who disagrees with me on any point of this post is welcome to their opinion, and welcome to kiss my @$$!

"One of the most significant free speech/hate speech cases arose in 1977. The National Socialist Party of America (NSPA), led by a man named Frank Collin, announced plans to march in front of the Village Hall in Skokie, Illinois. Skokie had a large Jewish population, including several thousand survivors of the World War II holocaust in Europe. Village officials first obtained an injunction against the demonstration. After the injuction was reversed, the village enacted three ordinances to prohibit certain kinds of demonstrations, including that of the NSPA. Collin sued to prevent the ordinances from being enforced."

He won because the court said, "There is room under the First Amendment for the government to protect targeted listeners from offensive speech, but only when the speaker intrudes on the privacy of the home, or a captive audience cannot practically avoid exposure..."


Something is ALWAYS going to offend someone. Not everyone is going to agree with you on your view points whether it be hatred or love, but you still have the right to express them.

I agree... seriously

stopfcc.com


you people need to start taking action and stop crying like babies

Haha I love this. You people make me laugh. Whenever someone writes something like this, everyone is all "Like omg that's a total violation of our freedom of speech" but I bet if some punk kid actually wore that shirt at your school, you'd all think he/she is wierd, hard core, or too obsessed with politics and not cool enough to talk to. I mean would you wear that to school? Put yourself in her shoes, especially if you live in the Southern states where people aren't that liberal and might even resent you for it. That girl had guts.

**** ***** **** ***** **** ***** ******* ******* *** ******* **** ******

After reading a lot of crap most of you people post I'm glad minors don't have many rights.

Actualy you loose your rights when your at school, but since it mandatory to go to school. You are forced to give up your rights. But hey minors don't have rigths in general.

i believe that everyone should be able to speak freely.... without getting suspended, or put in jail.... but to a certain extent i mean if their out causeing problems, or killing people...then i think something needs to be done.

Our right to speaking what we think is just as important as the next adult.Welearn things everyday that should influence us everyday,and if we are more mature than an adult to stand up to it then to sit back and let what we know is right slip through our hands then we should be able to voice our opinion.

I think our freedom of speech is being taken (sometimes). We kids have things to say too! Adults always ask about school and is every thing ok with our families. Other than that, they don't want to hear anything else. One of the only times I got to speak my mind was when I was at my dad's buisness meeting. He works for the Boys'&Girls'Clubs of America,an organization for kids to hang out after school is out for the year or at the end of the day. The meeting was about how they could make the clubs better. I interupted and said what I wanted to say. What I suggested happend, but I still got in trouble for interupting!
Thanks for listening,
Rocindamic,13

freedome of speach is def. loosing alot of its advantages ,freedome of speach well from what im told is suposed to be you can voice your opnion , and you should be heard and concidered , but with kids we dont get that freedome till we are 18 and even then we have to do so many things before we can even get to the part where they tell us we are rong , we try to speak and they tell us to shut up , we are not heard at all so ya iuno i dont think its even much of a freedome

Freedom has always been relative. Since the day this country was founded there have been restrictions. The original Constitution was drafted so that white, land owning men, could decide what was best. However, even thought three ratifications have been made to the original constitution, there are still many loopholes to it. For instance, even though it says that any citizen has the right to express themselves within the boubds of non-vulgar and non-offensive language. This right also (the way i've been raised)is only applicable to those of voting age.
Where i go to school, wearing a shirt that says "Buck Fush" will land you a ten day, out of school suspension. Wearing a shirt that in any way implies that you were anti-Bush or Anti-"Iraqi Freedom" would buy you an expulsion hearing.
So freedom of speech is all relative, and it depends on the voting age people around you, right wing = big trouble if youre anti Bush. Left wing and youre just fine.

Okay Dante:

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"I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it"
The above quote is from the French philosopher Voltaire.

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I'd rather people quit with this quote already. He also said that witty sayings prove nothing. But, what you're missing is a key part of the quote "I will defend to the death your right to say it". Your position is fundamentally opposed to Voltaire's meaning and is an obscenity against free speech.


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I am vehemently opposed to the so called "antiwar" movement that, often (though not always, thankfully), slanders the American government and the right for really no reason.
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It's only slander if it's not true."

Which is the case with groups that call Bush a dictator, or accuse the US of trying to install a new tyrannical regime, or any other unfounded or unproven statement.


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However, I do not think that most people should be persecuted for political opinions. It is important that we as a society do not stamp out any dissent that may occur, so long as it harms no one directly.
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That's great, but that's not what you're advocating.


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On the flip-side, we should also be allowed to discredit extremist opinions in protesters and other radical groups.
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You are allowed and encouraged to engage in rational and civil discource and debate. That is a fundamental garuntee of the First Amendment, and is considered "pure speech". However, simply libeling them and hating them is neither rational nor civil and so you shouldn't be surprised when you meet resistance.


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Do I think that some forms of speech are in fact, fundamentally flawed or deserving of being outlawed? Yes, of course some are. The Klan's cross burning, communist parties, child pornography, all are forms of "speech" but are considered indefensible by all but extremists like the ACLU.
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If an organization dedicated to upholding fundamental constitutional freedoms is "exteremist" one wonders why you'd want to be anything besides that...
And in what possible way is communism deserving of being outlawed? Right here you go against anything and everything freedom of speech stands for. A pure political opinion, that you open your post saying you would "defend to the death" (or would have if you were quoting correctly) and here you are contradicting that by saying it should be outlawed."

Communism is the advocating of a dictatorship of the proletariat. Socialism is an acceptable democratic version of Marxism. Using "Free speech" to praise tyranny, destruction of civil rights, or criminal actives is a gross abuse.


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Everyone believes in censorship of some kind, whether they realize or not. Do you believe that hard-core pornography should be shown on Saturday mornings, on national television? No?
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You know what I do when I don't like what's on TV ? I change the frickin channel. And unles you're really lazy that right there is the best solution, personal choice.
It's other people's cup of tea and as long as I don't have to watch it I'm fine."

You seem to misunderstand me: We all have censorship when it truly crosses the line. People can say what they want, but they should do so with respect to society. As stated, you do not shown porn on Saturday morning TV, everyone censors that sort of thing.

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Do you think that someone should be able to go to school with a shirt having an obscene or criminal message? No?
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I think a person deliberatly provoking people is looking for a debate and attention. It's certainly not something someone really concered with gettign an education that day would do, but again, it's a personal choice. And since your definition of "obscene" and "criminal" can be something as simple as believing in socialism, I really wouldn't want cesorship of that magnitude and I don't think any true American would. If you hate freedoms maybe you're a little to masochistic for the US"

No, its a distraction and violation of school rules. If they want to protest and do other things, that's fine. But breaking the rules outside of a despotic society to "protest" is not dissent, its irresponsibility. Anyway, as stated the ACLU has defended groups such as NAMBLA, terrorist white supremacists like the UKA (United Klans of America), and other militants. Free speech is fine, but when that speech inteferes with the rule of law and people's rights, then it is a perversion of what is otherwise a wonderful civil liberty.


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The difference is its censorship within the bounds of common sense, and not a vaguely totalitarian erosion of basic civil liberties.
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It's common sense to censor political beliefs and and personal expression? Screw that. That's hideously authoritarian."

You are taking my words out of context and twisting them. What I am saying is that when free speech is used to violate the law, be obscene or disrupts society's function it is very much wrong. Also, in many ways I am rather authoritarian in ways, but that's another topic altogether.

the way that you are "acting" for your freedom of speach won't get you anywhere...and not to mention but anti-war won't get you anywhere either. Now, I was born out of the country, but that doesn't mean that America is "evil" or whatever. It's the people in America generation after generation, thinking that they are high and mighty and forgeting about the first Ammendment of the Contitution!!!! people, people, people...are you just going to get online and talk about our freedom of speach or go out there and do something. Every time I read this post, I can't believe what I am reading half of the time.

I, myself, have been taking my freedom of speech into consideration, BUTI've also been saying things that I know that would be considered in the problems that I have been involved with. The thing with this anti-war should come to an end.

but that's just what I think.
peace

REBEL! PROTESTS ALL THE WAY!

I TOTALLT THINK IT SHOULD BE ALLOWED!IF SOME PEOPLE THINK IT IS DISRUPTIVE THEN DONT DO IT!PERSONALLY I AM AGAINST THE WAR & THE PRESIDENTS DECISION TO TAKE MILITARY ACTION SO QUICKLY:MAD: & I THINK IF U WANNA PROTEST GO 4 IT,DUDE!!!~~~***

We should all be free we have a right to tell what we think. Other teachers and people can their free so should we be. No one cares for kids these days but all the teachers usually do is shout. i know this is our world let's not argue. but we should have freedom to read and write not fight be friends with one another because one day just one day everything will fall apar in your lives. So be free and live happily.


Peace Easy