Preview

The Supreme Court Case Of Tinker V. Des Moines

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
840 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Supreme Court Case Of Tinker V. Des Moines
The 1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution of the United States of America states as follows: “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”. The Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) is a landmark case that established whether or not students leave their 1st Amendment rights at the school gate. In December 1965, Mary Beth Tinker, a 13-year-old junior high student, gathered a group of students and decided to wear black wristbands that protested the Vietnam War. When asked to take the wristbands …show more content…
Des Moines court case was written by Justice Abe Fortas. Its contents contribute to the ideas of those who believe certain kinds of speech should not be prohibited within an educational setting. In this majority opinion statement, Justice Abe Fortas reveals that there is an “absence of a specific showing of constitutionally valid reasons to regulate [students’] speech” (Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District by Justice Abe Fortas par. 9). Because of this absence of reason, students should be allowed to express their opinions and views on topics of their choice. Justice Abe Fortas justifies his statement by referencing another court case that says “school officials cannot suppress ‘expressions of feelings with which they do not wish to contend’ Burnside v. Byars, supra, at 749” (par. 9). Through the suppression of free thinking by the government it, in a way, disrupts the original intent of the Framers and of the Constitution, which was to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty, as outlined in the Preamble. Those who believe in these ideals of the Constitution should also believe in the allowance of student expression in schools because they are directly

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Miller v. StateSupreme Court of Nevada, 1996991 P. 2d 1183People in the United States commit crimes and make up excuses why they should not be held accountable for a crime. Insanity and temporary Insanity have significant differences. One might ask themselves is there really any meaningful difference? During the history of our court system there has been many significant court decisions which address the controversy topics of insanity and temporary insanity as it relates to criminal procedures. One of the most significant court decision is Miller Vs State Supreme Court of Nevada, 1996 991 P.2d 1183.…

    • 987 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    I, _______, agree that school officials should be able to remove student publications when they believe material is unsuitable for younger students, or for reasons it could possibly disrupt the educational curriculum. If students are allowed "freedom of speech" other students could be slandered indirectly such as what occured in this case or fights may ensue due to disagreements. Yes, we as Americans have rights to speak our minds freely, but most students are minors and are under the supervision of the school. The school has the right to control what is allowed within its walls and must moniter students' doings in order to ensure the safety and eduaction of all students.…

    • 254 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The majority opinion claimed that the principal did the right thing in removing the pages before printing. It argued that it did not violate student’s rights, but on the other hand it protected the parents in the divorce article and the identities in the pregnancy article. By protecting the rights of others, he was also protecting the rights of those individual students mentioned in the articles and the school’s image. The minority opinion claims that the articles removed still represented individual student views. Those who argued the dissenting opinion justified it by expressing concern over what permitting censorship will do in the long run. For instance, if censorship was permitted in this case, it would set a precedent for general student censorship with…

    • 938 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the case of Bethel School District v. Fraser a lot happened. In my understanding there was a school event in which students gave speeches. The one student gave a speech with language unaccepted in the school, and got suspended, and was not allowed to be voted in for the election. The Father got angry and believed that his sons amendment rights were being violated. He felt like his sons first amendment right of freedom of speech was being withheld from him, along with his fourteenth amendment right. The case first went to a general court and it could not be agreed upon, so in tern it went to the Supreme Court because it could not be agreed upon in the lower court system and was to controversial. The court case was taken extremely seriously because it could change school rights, as they were known.…

    • 902 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated,” Mapp V. Ohio (1961) dealt with that very sentence of the constitution. Were the officers at fault or Mapp? This complex question has a complex answer one that puzzled the Supreme Court and led to a change in criminal procedure. The verdict was a strict interpretation of the constitution. The fourth amendment was relevant because the fourteenth amendment grunted due process. It was a very good decision, it protected the black minority who at the time were being routinely harassed and convicted for no reasons. This decision certainly did not stop that but it made it harder…

    • 1445 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    When Dandridge met with Preminger, he admitted that he had not considered Dandridge because he thought she was too "ladylike" for the role. In real-life, Dandridge always prided herself on being elegant and conducting herself like a lady. She had gone to the interview with Preminger dressed in a fashionable but plain suit and light makeup. He wanted her to read for the part of Joe's demure sweetheart, Cindy Lou, but Dandridge refused. She pleaded for the opportunity to return the next day and read for Carmen. He reluctantly agreed. The next day Dandridge, decked out in floozy garb, wind-blown hair and heavy makeup showed up late for the interview and shocked Preminger into giving her a screen test. The test was made with actor James Edwards.…

    • 232 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Through the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, it is made known that no law can declare an official religion, prevent people from peacefully assembling, petitioning, or take away the freedoms of speech and press. Now in the twentieth century the Supreme Court has shown an increased willingness in their judiciary position to interpret the ammendment’s guarantees.1 The First Amendment rose to its high place in the American political culture not only because of controversies, pitting citizens against the state, but also the persistence of political leaders to portray the virtues in wide open debate and religious worship.2 Cases over the freedom of speech, until the twentieth century, dealt with false and scandalous writing against others, but as time went on the same interpretations in court were challenged by educational cases.…

    • 806 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Lala

    • 385 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In Derek Bok’s “Protecting Freedom of Expression on the Campus” Bok has come face to face with the issue of protecting student rights’ when it comes to the first amendment and arguing that since Harvard University is a private school it should be allowed to be more flexible towards the situation. However, what Bok lacks is the actual reason to why private schools should be more flexible in its application of free speech. In this article he should have included the First Amendment rather than just stating that its unclear to what its extents are and what may or may not be considered offensive. What exactly makes a private school different than a public school when it comes to such rights as freedom of speech? Where is it written and explained what the differences are when it comes to a private school and a public school? Bok said, “ I have a difficulty understanding why a university such as Harvard should have less free speech than the surrounding society- or than a public university” (67). Nowhere in the article does it say why Harvard has less free speech than any public university or what the differences between the two were. Bok also describes that there isn’t a fine line between what is considered offensive and what is not. In this article he could have put examples on what different universities considered offensive or not offensive so the reader would have an idea of what extent he’s reaching to.…

    • 385 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Imagine going into a place and not being able to talk about what you want to say. In…

    • 1351 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1997, the Court ruled that the Internet is protected by the First Amendment. But, as in all forms of communication, free speech is not absolute. The “shouting fire in a crowded theatre” rule applies. There are limits based on common sense and the Court’s 1969 ruling in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District. In that benchmark decision, the Court stated that student speech is protected as long as it doesn’t disrupt the school environment or violate the rights of another person. What a student does online, whether by e-m ail, in a blog or by a tweet, may be censored and consequences imposed if inappropriate under the Tinker test.…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Limiting Speech

    • 229 Words
    • 1 Page

    However, it is still important to protect student free speech rights to some degree. Schools need to help prepare students to be good citizens and good citizens need to be able to express their political opinions. Therefore, I agree with the Court’s holding in Tinker. In that case, the Court said that schools have to have a very good reason to limit student speech. They cannot simply ban the speech because they do not like it. I agree wholeheartedly with this even though I think that we should never allow students to have complete freedom of speech.…

    • 229 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Where do teachers freedom of speech rights that are protected under the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution start, and where do they stop? This is what Underwood is trying to tease out in her article by highlighting past precedent and current events that have molded the court’s opinion in matters of a teacher’s right to free speech. She makes the distinction that teachers do indeed have the right to free speech outside of the classroom, and that the school district cannot infringe upon that right unless comments made by teachers in the public square harm the school or the district itself. It is when teachers are inside the classroom that their rights to freedom of speech come under scrutiny and criticism by the school when that speech is deemed inappropriate for the curriculum or a disruption to the school’s ability to operate efficiently or inhibit the teacher’s ability to perform his or her job.…

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Tinker v. Des Moines School District. (2006). First Amendment Schools. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from http://www.firstamendmentschools.org/freedoms/case.aspx?id=404&Search…

    • 844 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In most countries across the world citizens are denied freedoms that United State citizens are guaranteed to possess. The freedoms of the citizens of the United States are set forth and defined in the United States Constitution. The Constitution defines all freedoms every citizen should have, and sets forth limits the government has on the freedoms. The Constitution states that the government can not take away the freedoms presented in the Constitution. The freedoms are presented in the first ten amendments in the Constitution, are known as the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights guarantees the freedom of speech, press, and religion. However, these freedoms are limited within the school environments of minors and for the most part these limitations are accepted by society.…

    • 496 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    scope and limits of what can be taught and how it is presented in public school.”­…

    • 498 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays