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"You are children, and as a child you have no freedom of speech, didn't you learn that in history?

There is a case to be made for this, however.

Firstly, all the children I know definatly misuse their rights to speak. I know most of the people on here are literate, intelligent individuals who look at the general issues, or use thier intelligence to debate and understand life and its problems. However, not all people do this, and this is why children do not have full responsibility; they have not yet learned to fully accept that responsibilty and behave with it in an adult way. That is why parents have , I think it is called Parento Locentis?, i.e. the right to make descisions and speak with the concerns and intrests of that child at heart.

Thus, we, as the intellectual minority, do not have the right to give all 'children' the right to free speech because it would encourage the wrong things.

I think that is enough playing the Devils Advocate.

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Maybe someday you will learn, Meagan, that there are more important things than grades.

There may very well be...I however, think it is more important to get good grades and be able to go to the school of my choice, both for undergrad (which I did get to do) and law school. In this way, I will be able to get a career of my choice and go about causing change on a much larger scale.

It is all a matter of your priorities and how you choose to go about fulfilling them. Don't make me seem like less of a social advocate because I refuse to compromise my educational ideals.

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However, I am just saying that if my grades were to be compromised due to a protest, I would not support it.

And no one is forcing you to, however, you should not tell people that they cannot do it.

Maybe someday you will learn, Meagan, that there are more important things than grades.

I say go for it and good luck! If your VP said that then obviously you have to make a statement whether it be a peaceful protest or complaining to the school board or principal. The school can't do anything to you if you tell your teacher's you're going to be doing a peaceful protest. Get a teacher to be on your side though and have a note from the office or someone telling your teachers that you're not speaking for the day. Good luck. I had a day of silence back in April and boy is it hard! Good luck and I hope your protest is successful!

Please note that I am all for peaceful protest. However, I am just saying that if my grades were to be compromised due to a protest, I would not support it.

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I have never seen an in-school protest yield results, regardless of the means. So based on the results that are to be expected, it would be silly to let your grades suffer in order to fail in making a point.

One day of not speaking will not kill your grade in any class. And just because you haven't seen any work doesn't mean they won't. i've seen a very sucessful one.

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Originally posted by Meagan87:
It's not the silence that I was talking about...it was the tape over the mouth.

The teacher cannot kick you out for not participating. However, it can kill your grade in the class.

I have never seen an in-school protest yield results, regardless of the means. So based on the results that are to be expected, it would be silly to let your grades suffer in order to fail in making a point.

Sorry for the cynicism...but that's life...

Silly or not, protests are an important part of democracy. You DO have the right to free speech. You DO NOT necessarily have the right to good grades.

It's not the silence that I was talking about...it was the tape over the mouth.

The teacher cannot kick you out for not participating. However, it can kill your grade in the class.

I have never seen an in-school protest yield results, regardless of the means. So based on the results that are to be expected, it would be silly to let your grades suffer in order to fail in making a point.

Sorry for the cynicism...but that's life...

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Protests are great...it is cool when people try to make a difference in their community. However, I think there is a time and place for them...

I agree and disagree. You seem to caught up in the notion that schools can make you do whatever they please.

Schools all over the country participate in the day of silence (dayofsilence.org) which happens during school. Whether or not the class "requires" participation, they can not kick you out for having a silent protest. That is not a disruption at all. And I disagree about it being distracting. How does silence disrupt something?

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eventually you will have to do a speech and then you can either break your protest, or continue the protest and accept a failing grade.

I'm pretty sure we are talking about a 1 day protest, not a vow of silence forever.

Meagan, there is a HUGE difference between in-class protests and out-of-class protests.

Obviously, most protests that happen in the classroom would disrupt class activity.

However, in most cases, passive protests would be allowed outside of class, such as during lunch, before/after school, etc, because they do not disrupt with the function of the school.

But it would be distracting to the learning environment.

Also, some classes require participation and that wouldn't be stood for. It's not like you could do it for long, eventually you will have to do a speech and then you can either break your protest, or continue the protest and accept a failing grade. It would b plain stupid to let something like that interfere with your education.

Protests are great...it is cool when people try to make a difference in their community. However, I think there is a time and place for them...

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Yes, they can, as long as it doesn't cause a "substantial disruption," i.e. disrupt the "learning process." It often doesn't take much, though.

you wont be making noise if you have tape over your mouth

Yeah, if they have permission.

A student can protest more than passively at some schools with proper permission

Yes, they can, as long as it doesn't cause a "substantial disruption," i.e. disrupt the "learning process." It often doesn't take much, though.

Right on i didnt know such a case exsisted. Can a student perform passive protest at school?

I'm sure it probably happens, since most people aren't willing to spend the time, effort, money, etc, on a lawyer to take the school to court. But I'm just saying, legally, those are the rules.

By the way, I don't quite understand what you were talking about with the "gangmember" in your school. Perhaps you could clarify?

I remember that case too. While I know students technically have freedom of speech, I think the faculty can still find a way to shut you up if they really want to.

I think someone at my school was accused of being in a gang (in my little suburban city, this means that they spray paint stuff and dress goofy...) based on the stuff that he said, and the fact that he "dressed gang-like", even though the school taped over this part of the security camera tape before the expulsion trial...

I remeber that case!

Wow, way to be katalina!