Abstract In 1969, a group of students filed a lawsuit against their school district claiming that their First Amendment rights were violated because the school district wrote a policy that prohibited them from wearing black armbands in a silent protest of the Vietnam War. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969) ruled that students are entitled to their First Amendment rights as long as they are not causing a disruption to the school environment. This paper outlines the…

Frederick Douglass was many things; a man, an orator, a writer, an avid abolitionist, a presidential advisor and a slave. Douglass lived the majority of his life as a free man after escaping his bondage at age 20. However, everything he did and accomplished over the course of his life was influenced and affected by his past as a slave. Just as slavery shaped Douglass’s existence, the politics of the 19th century would not escape the pressure of the debate over slavery. From the American Revolution…

Eckhardt, 16 years old, and 13 year old Mary Beth Tinker (John’s younger sister). Getting suspended, the students did not return until after New Year’s Day (FORTAS). “This case was significant because the justices stated, “students do not abandon their civil rights at the school house door....” The school is not allowed to limit a student or teachers first amendment rights. Student and teachers are now able to freely express their first amendment rights as long as it does not cause a disturbance to the…

Bong hits and arms bands in school?! What in the world is the public education system coming to in America? Students are practicing their rights and their free speech. The First Amendment upholds the freedom of speech, press assembly, and petition. However, the Supreme Court has different justifications on these in schools and for students. Schools look to uphold the safety and security of the students and faculty in their care. There are two prominent cases that show the difference between free…

Landmark Supreme Court Cases  Brown v Board of Education (1954)  The Background: In the 1950’s, schools were separated by race. Linda Brown and her sister had to walk down a dangerous railroad switchyard to get to the bus stop to their all-black elementary school. There was an all-white school closer to the Brown’s house, and the Brown family believed that segregated schools violated the Constitution.  The Constitutional Issue: This issue violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth…

Professor Gary Shapley | Civil Law v. Criminal Law | Introduction to Criminal Law | Joanna Solis 3/2/2012 | Only a few people actually know “the law”. Others think that the criminal justice system is a body that only has one set of rules and laws and all act the same. Not to mention that because of television they think that every case is tried at criminal court with a judge and a panel of jurors. However that is not the case because there’s two specifically types of law, civil and criminal law.…

Civil War Causes: Frederick Douglass Born into slavery and fathered by an unknown white man, “Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey” was born in Maryland around 1818. He was raised by his grandparents and with an Aunt, having seen his mother only a handful of times before she died. It was during this time that he witnessed firsthand the cruelty of the institution of slavery: lashings, exposure to the elements and hunger. When he was eight years old he left for Baltimore, and it was there that his…

Frederick Douglass was a civil war activist, he was a father and a husband. He grew up in slavery and once he escaped he knew he still had work to do. As Frederick was growing up and as he lived , the north and south were constantly arguing and slave owners were very harsh but people still kept going, it was mostly hard on the slaves but soon the whole country was suffering from different things. In this essay (or book as I like to call it) you will learn about Frederick Douglass…

Morse et al. v. Frederick The case of Morse et al. v. Frederick was argued by the Supreme Court in 2007. This was a First Amendment case, centered on the basic right of freedom of speech as defined in the Constitution of the United States. The facts that contributed to the issue took place during a High School assembly event. A group of students had displayed a banner that read “BONG HiTS 4 JESUS.” The High School Principal (Morse) saw this as an illegal drug reference, and was responsible for…

Compare and Contrast Essay Frederick Douglass V. Sherman Alexie As a young child, we are given certain opportunities and guidance to expand our knowledge right off the bat when it comes to reading and writing. Going to school to get an education is what every parent aspires their child to do. Parents want the best for their children, to be accepted and to learn to their fullest extent just like every other child their age. However, there are many children and families who are not as privileged…