Secondly, I would like to talk about the ACLU's (American Civil Liberties Union) law suit. The suit is against Easton Area Middle School in Easton, Pennsylvania. The school suspended two students for wearing the popular "I (Heart) Boobies" bracelets. These certain bracelets are everywhere in America in support of breast cancer, but in this particular school district, the bracelets are banned no matter what the true message is. The school says that the bracelets are very distracting to the students and "trivializes a serious illness." Students, parents, and of course the ACLU argue that it is a violation of the kids' free speech civil liberties.
Personally, the lawsuit is a waste of money. I don't think this is a violation of the two girls’ civil liberties. I do agree with the school in Easton that the bracelets are a distraction to the students, especially in a middle school. We all remember our middle school days and how our minds worked. I mean it’s just a bracelet. What these parents should be more concerned about is teaching these kids safe sex and sexually transmitted diseases, but that’s another topic for another time. One of the girls’ mothers argued that if the teachers can wear breast cancer awareness shirts, then the students should be able to participate in the awareness campaign as well. This I agree with; be that as it may, I have not abandoned my position alongside of the school. There are plenty of ways to involve students in breast cancer awareness. Wearing a certain bracelet is not their only option. Easton Area Middle School should lessen the girls’ punishment and involve the students and teachers in another area of awareness; anybody can hold a fundraiser.
This particular case reminds me on the supreme court case Tinker v.Des Moines School District, in which student where punished for wearing armband that expressed there opinion about the war.The court stated the first amendments doesn't have jurisdiction at the "school house gates". In this particular case these kids are just supporting breast cancer awareness. The school is justifying that the students are detracted by these arm band. My question is are the student aware of what the arm bands mean. In my opinion They should be in bracing the idea of breast cancer awareness rather than censoring it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the school is trying to censor the idea of breast cancer awareness. I mean that would be un-American. Like I said, I bet that most of the students wearing these armbands aren't fully aware of their meaning. They most likely think that it's cool that they can get away with wearing the word "boobies" and not being in trouble.
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