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CHICAGO • An appeals court has upheld the rights of suburban Chicago students to wear T-shirts with the words "Be Happy, Not Gay."
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' ruling Tuesday involves a dispute at Neuqua Valley High School. A teen sued in 2006 after school officials blacked out the words "Not Gay" on her T-shirt. The incident happened the day after a "Day of Silence," which was held to draw attention to the harassment of gay students.
The part that gets me is that this is an APPEAL'S court ruleing, which means the school had already lost in the lower court and decided to appeal the ruling. What a waste of our tax dollars!
The part that gets me is that this is an APPEAL'S court ruleing, which means the school had already lost in the lower court and decided to appeal the ruling. What a waste of our tax dollars!
I don't think it's a waste of tax dollars at all, especially compared to unnecessary wars in the Middle East.
Defending and upholding free speech laws isn't always easy. Lots of people - both on the left and on the right - would like to suppress free speech. If a case has to go through a couple of courts in order to maintain those laws, that's totally fine with me. I actually think it's an excellent use of our tax dollars. It ensures that free speech rights will continue to be upheld.
Even with the Schools extra authority and penchant for tyranny the initial action was absurd. The concept of "Free Speech" is meant to cover obnoxious speech.
I got sent up to the Principal's office once for wearing a jacket that said "Reagan Hates Me."
The teacher and principal got a crash course in constitutional law that afternoon from my outraged parents...who were called and told to come pick me up because of my "offensive" and "disruptive" clothing.
30 minutes later I was back in class, with jacket, smiling at the Nazi who sent me up.
I don't think it's a waste of tax dollars at all, especially compared to unnecessary wars in the Middle East.
Defending and upholding free speech laws isn't always easy. Lots of people - both on the left and on the right - would like to suppress free speech. If a case has to go through a couple of courts in order to maintain those laws, that's totally fine with me. I actually think it's an excellent use of our tax dollars. It ensures that free speech rights will continue to be upheld.
I think you misunderstood. The school was AGAINST freedom of speech/expression here. They were trying to say the shirt was not allowed. They lost and then they still appealed to a higher court (where they lost again). THAT is what I was saying was a waste of tax money. Like you, I also believe freedom is worth defending. I just hope the school had to pay the kid's parents legal fees (and I wish the nitwit admin who started the whole thing had it taken out of his paycheck).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Strel
I got sent up to the Principal's office once for wearing a jacket that said "Reagan Hates Me."
Why did you think Reagan hated you?
I used to have a shirt that said "He's tanned, rested and ready: Nixon '88". I bought it to get a reaction out of people but, to my disappointment at the time, almost everyone who made a comment was very supporting of the idea and wished he could run again (he couldn't as he had already been elected to two terms).
Honestly I can't recall. But whatever it was, it prompted me to take a Sharpie to my Army-surplus jacket.
Quote:
I used to have a shirt that said "He's tanned, rested and ready: Nixon '88". I bought it to get a reaction out of people but, to my disappointment at the time, almost everyone who made a comment was very supporting of the idea and wished he could run again (he couldn't as he had already been elected to two terms).
I think you misunderstood. The school was AGAINST freedom of speech/expression here. They were trying to say the shirt was not allowed. They lost and then they still appealed to a higher court (where they lost again). THAT is what I was saying was a waste of tax money. Like you, I also believe freedom is worth defending. I just hope the school had to pay the kid's parents legal fees (and I wish the nitwit admin who started the whole thing had it taken out of his paycheck).
No, I understood it. These things happen. The school fought their case, and they were rebuked. The bright side is that because a higher court decided against them, it's less likely that other schools will try the same thing in the future.
No, I understood it. These things happen. The school fought their case, and they were rebuked. The bright side is that because a higher court decided against them, it's less likely that other schools will try the same thing in the future.
Very well said, and so true.
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