Essay about Sociology: Supreme Court of the United States and Supreme Court
Submitted By Theodociajr1
Words: 1962
Pages: 8
John Milton was once quoted as saying, “Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.”(Goodreads 2010) Freedom of Speech serves as the foundation of the United States’ governmental policy, which, with the establishment of the First Amendment, guarantees every citizen liberty and freedom. 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; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”(Constitution 1971) This amendment is vital to democracy, because without freedom of speech all other rights serve no real purpose and the concept of freedom will be defeated.
The freedom of speech in both public and private schools has become an issue and over time school officials has been either trying to limit student’s freedom of speech or eliminate them all together. As a student, I personally feel that students should be allowed to express themselves in any way possible because we are still in the stage of forming our own opinions, lifestyles and ideologies. Also, as an American citizen, it is vital that we understand and use our freedom of speech since it is our natural right. Throughout history, this has been an issue mostly not because it offends other students but because school officials personally find it offensive.
When the Supreme Court first established freedom of speech the idea that a student felt that they had the right to express their freedom of speech in school was just a fig of the imagination. During that time period, school was considered a privilege and all students had to abide by the rules and regulations that were stated. Students did not express their feelings or opinions until the Vietnam War. Students had opinions on their views on the war and wanted them to be heard in any way possible. Teachers and higher officials felt that student’s opinions and views were unnecessary and probably had different views on the war. Basically, student’s opinions and views had no place in the school building. (McMasters, Paul, 2005)
Students wanted to be heard and for the first time in history a case was taken to the Supreme Court that made a landmark in history was Tinker V. Des Moines School district (1969). There had been cases prior to Tinker V. Des Moines School district over the first amendment but on different terms regarding religion. Tinker V. Des Moines School district, which caused an extreme controversy regarding Freedom of Speech. In 1965, a group of adults and students who were no older then 15 decided to publicize their objections to the hostilities in Vietnam and their support for a truce by fasting and wearing black armbands during the holiday season. The principle of the students who attended a public school felt that the armbands would cause a disturbance in school so he asked all armbands to be removed; if they were not removed, the student would face suspension. As the result, the Tinker children and some of their friends were suspended because they wore the armbands despite the principal’s commands. The Tinker’s and their friend’s parents took the case to a Federal District Court but the court told them to take it to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court sided with the Tinkers. Seven of the Supreme Court Judges felt that wearing black armbands was “not substantially disruptive”(Fortas, 1969) with anything at school and “"either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." (Fortas, 1969) (Linder, Doug, 2010).
Another case that made it to the Supreme Court was Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier(1988). The case erupted because the principal of Hazelwood East High School took two articles from the school’s newspaper. He felt the articles were inappropriate because they talked
Related Documents: Essay about Sociology: Supreme Court of the United States and Supreme Court
The death penalty is the final, irreversible rejection of human rights. Through the efforts of the abolition of the death penalty in the world, to end the cycle of violence amnesty system consists of one in a disastrous State Economic and racial prejudice and human error pollution created. Amnesty International Campaign to abolish the death penalty to the individual situation of injustice, in America, in American abolishing death penalty to support work, nature and educational campus and community…
politicians, Supreme Court Justices, and private citizens. It is basically up to the Supreme Court of America to determine the laws and protocol for carrying out the death penalty, although individual states can approve or disapprove using the death penalty. However, many other countries including Canada, Australia, Japan and some European countries have abolished the use of the death penalty in lieu of what they may consider to be more humane disciplines. In fact, the United States uses the fear…
The style called upon African Americans to seek full exercise of civil rights in the United States through militant protest and agitation. Du Bois’s posture met with little popularity, for it was at the time that the nation had witnessed the undermining of the “Reconstruction Amendments”—which had given blacks the legal prerogatives of the vote, access to, and equal rights under the law—by the 1896 Supreme Court decision, Plessy v. Fergusson or the “separate but equal” doctrine. Du Bois’s political…
Abstract: As an independent society in the United States began to structure its democratic government towards the end of the eighteenth century, the issue of religion greatly divided early leaders. Our Founding Fathers — principally George Washington and Thomas Jefferson — offered influential, yet disparate, visions concerning the role of religion in American society. In 1791, the United States ratified the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting…
titled "The Gospel of Wealth" in 1889. In the essay, he encouraged wealthy businessmen to use their fortunes in ways that would benefit society. Carnegie became a great philanthropist and funded the creation of thousands of public libraries in the United States. John D. Rockefeller [pic]John D. Rockefeller was the founder of the Standard Oil Company. In 1879, he created a trust in an effort to gain more control of the oil industry. The creation of the trust allowed Standard Oil Company to take over…
the special techniques employed in particular kinds of investigation and the presentation of the police cases in court. PSC204- The patrol function Course description: Consideration of the various factors which influence the determination of patrol strength, type, and distribution. Existing patrol practices in various police departments of the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom are compared and evaluated critically. Consideration of the future of patrol and an evaluation of recent…
organizations to create goals and timetables to correct these problems. Originally affirmative action was designed to overcome discrimination and barriers to equal employment opportunity, but more recently it has also been legitimated by the U.S. Supreme Court as a means of realizing diversity goals. Types of Affirmative Action Affirmative Action comes in many different forms. Corporate affirmative action encompasses a wide range of strategies often not recognized as affirmative action. For…
Death Penalty: Right or Wrong? Kimberley Houk COM 156 October 26,2014 Gina Greco Death Penalty: Right or Wrong? One main question regarding whether the United States should apply the death penalty as a form of punishment is a heated debate in American politics. The topic is so divisive because it deals with death, which is permanent. Life is valued in every society, and when life is taken away, emotions rise. Most human beings maintain a strong underlying fear of death, so they want…
the Saints succeed, the world will no longer recognize a link between Mormonism and plural marriage in the future. Both authors have a background in Sociology and Anthropology. O. Kendall White, Jr. is a professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Washington and Lee University, and Daryl White is a professor and chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Spellman College. This topic is essential to become aware and understand individual groups and the reasoning behind their beliefs…
penalty should be abolished. The best reasons are to not violate the United States constitution, to save money for the U.S residents, and to not kill humans because it has no proof of deterring murders. Abolishing the death penalty is truly the most moral way to go. According to John Paul Stevens’ capital punishment violates the United States constitution. John Paul had served as an associate of the supreme court of the United States. He worked from 1975 up until 2010 when he retired. John Paul claims…