Court to Hear 'Bong Hits 4 Jesus' Case

[Tesha]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/03/19/national/w061957D07.DTL

Scores of students waited outside the Supreme Court on
Monday for a chance to listen to arguments in a test of
student speech rights — a high school senior's display
of a banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus."

"I would never do it, but at the same time, it's free
speech," said Chaim Frenkel, 17, of Silver Spring, Md.
Frenkel was one of 13 seniors and their teacher from
the Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy who arrived at
the court at 4:30 a.m. EDT.

Natasha Braithwaite, 20, a junior at Columbia Union
College in Takoma Park, Md., got in line at 7 a.m.
with a definite opinion about the case. "In every
possible way, his First Amendment rights were
violated," Braithwaite said.

Joseph Frederick was a high school senior in Juneau,
Alaska, when he decided to display the banner at a
school-sanctioned event to watch the Olympic torch
pass through the city on its way to the 2002 Winter
Games in Salt Lake City.

Principal Deborah Morse believed his "Bong Hits 4
Jesus" banner was a pro-drug message that schools
should not tolerate. She suspended Frederick for 10
days. Frederick sued Morse, and that case now is
before the court.

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[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. I had no idea...

that the Olympics were ran by a Md. high school.

[Tesha]

2. The interesting part is who's on which side...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/washington/18scotus.html?ref=us

Free-Speech Case Divides Bush and Religious Right

WASHINGTON, March 17 — A Supreme Court case about the free-speech rights of high school students, to be argued on Monday, has opened an unexpected fissure between the Bush administration and its usual allies on the religious right.

As a result, an appeal that asks the justices to decide whether school officials can squelch or punish student advocacy of illegal drugs has taken on an added dimension as a window on an active front in the culture wars, one that has escaped the notice of most people outside the fray. And as the stakes have grown higher, a case that once looked like an easy victory for the government side may prove to be a much closer call.

<snip>

While it is hardly surprising to find the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Coalition Against Censorship on Mr. Frederick’s side, it is the array of briefs from organizations that litigate and speak on behalf of the religious right that has lifted Morse v. Frederick out of the realm of the ordinary.

The groups include the American Center for Law and Justice, founded by the Rev. Pat Robertson; the Christian Legal Society; the Alliance Defense Fund, an organization based in Arizona that describes its mission as “defending the right to hear and speak the Truth”; the Rutherford Institute, which has participated in many religion cases before the court; and Liberty Legal Institute, a nonprofit law firm “dedicated to the preservation of First Amendment rights and religious freedom.”

<more>

[ShortnFiery]

3. Awe the kids were just having some fun, NOT worthy of a suspension.

I remember when we all despised the Captain of the training company we were in, the entire company plotted and waited until the General came to see all the pretty munitions. Before we sit down in the bleachers we always chanted our Unit and Company Motto ...

Instead of yelling out, "Bravo Fifteen Four, we bring smoke! smoke! ... smoke! smoke!"
we modified it to, "Bravo Fifteen Four,we smoke dope! dope! ... dope! dope!" :rofl:

Too bad that the good General was likable and just commented out loud will a smirk, "Outstanding!" :rofl:

Therefore, IMO, if we had a SANE Supreme Court who remembers what it's like to be young ... and have a little fun through playful antics, they'll support the former High Schooler who was WRONGLY Suspended. :shrug:

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. Argument in favor:

"Dude. I mean, dude."

[theaudacity]

5. 40 years ago it was vietnam protestors. Is it me or are first-amendment-rights standard bearers...

getting lamer and lamer as time goes on.

Whatever... lets get behind Cheech McHighschool here and fight the good fight.

[ShortnFiery]

6. Our youth has it bad and we must support them.

There's right wingers who want to make random drug testing OK in our High Schools.

Talk about INTRUSIVE. Don't we pressure our kids enough without making them pee in a cup?

That sends the message: We don't trust you. :(

[nashville_brook]

7. like bong hits weren't a topic of conversation in the 60s !

[otherlander]

15. "Free speech is the right to shout theater in a crowded fire."

[krispos42]

8. Well, we've been getting freer and freer

At least until BushCo came into office.

Perhaps I should say "theoretically freer and freer".

But I digress.

We've won major, major victories in the ares of Free Speech. Cursing, swearing, erotic movies, stories, and pictures, protest speech, freedom of dress, etc. Once those court cases are won, there is a diminishing amount of things to fight for.

[Tesha]

9. Here's some commentary in the Chron today...

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/20/MNGJMOO6UD1.DTL

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Am I the only one that thinks this is pretty darn silly?

Yes, I can understand the free speech argument and I am NOT speaking out against that.

But my first thought was good grief, how much have these legal expenses set back this school district? Was the "harm" this kid did really worth it? I say no.

[noonwitch]

11. The school should have just punished his truancy

He skipped school to fly the banner. He should have been punished for that.

[Tesha]

12. The kids were given permission to go to the event. (NT)

[PittPoliSci]

13. i'm a little confused...

what did the sign have to do with anything?

[Tesha]

14. It offended some school adminstrators and they got pissy. (NT)

[PittPoliSci]

16. so the student just put it up for the hell of it?

[Tesha]

17. That appears to be the case, yes. (NT)

[Bandit]

18. One of the Justices ,Kennedy I think, asked What if the banner said

Vote for Republicans. It is getting very interesting..Another asked what if it said, No hits for Jesus....or Wrong Hits for Jesus...

[HellRaiser]

19. This is a free speech issue that should concern us all

The kid was off campus but was supposed to be subject to prohibitions on his speech. Civil rights groups, such as the NYRA, were out there on Monday calling for the court to support the 9th Circuit. The news only covered the religious people.

[HellRaiser]

20. This is a free speech issue that should concern us all

The kid was off campus but was supposed to be subject to prohibitions on his speech. Civil rights groups, such as the NYRA, were out there on Monday calling for the court to support the 9th Circuit. The news only covered the religious people.