Ppp

I believe that regardless of location and situation, all people have the right to freedom of expression. I disagree with the ruling of the 1988 Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier case, during which the Supreme Court ruled against freedom of expression in the school setting through a 5 to 3 decision. America was founded on the belief that citizens have the right to express their thoughts and beliefs freely. The First Amendment states, “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. . .” After being subjects of an oppressing society whose rulers did not permit words against the king, the Founding Fathers felt that freedom of expression was vital to include in their Constitution. Over two hundred years later, this basic right has been forgotten in Supreme Court cases regarding schools. In 1988, an article regarding teen pregnancy from the school newspaper of Hazelwood East High School was deemed inappropriate by the school principal. Although the article did not advocate teen pregnancy, the principal demanded that the article be removed. The issue was brought to the Supreme Court, which ruled that the principal’s deletion of the articles did not violate students’ rights of the First Amendment. Despite the blatant explanation of the universal rights of the First Amendment, it does not appear to apply to the school setting. The Supreme Court has, on multiple occasions, dubbed the school setting a “special place” where basic Constitutional rights do not apply. Although the First Amendment declares that no law shall be made to prohibit freedom of expression, the 1988 Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier case ended in a 5-3 decision against the freedom of press in the school setting.