Tinker v. Des Moines' Ruling
Tinker v. Des Moines
Elizabeth Mosakowski
Mrs. Dabalos
IB History
806 Words Through the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, it is made known that no law can declare an official religion, prevent people from peacefully assembling, petitioning, or take away the freedoms of speech and press. Now in the twentieth century the Supreme Court has shown an increased willingness in their judiciary position to interpret the ammendment’s guarantees.1 The First Amendment rose to its high place in the American political culture not only because of controversies, pitting citizens against the state, but also the persistence of political leaders to portray the virtues in wide open debate and religious worship.2 Cases over the freedom of speech, until the twentieth century, dealt with false and scandalous writing against others, but as time went on the same interpretations in court were challenged by educational cases. In December 1965, representatives from small peace groups met in Christopher Eckhardt’s Des Moines home with an agenda.3The mere 60 students that gathered agreed to wear black armbands in order to protest America’s involvement in the war, mourn the casualties it brought on, but also they were in support of the Christmas truce that would stop the fighting for the holidays. When Mary Beth, John Tinker and Christopher Eckhardt chose to partake in this protest, on December 16, 1965 they were going against the policy the principals of the schools had put in place, two days earlier, banning armbands.4 Administrators were ultimately concerned about the safety of the student body, but in setting the policy they recognize its effects and determined if what they were doing was in the best interest of the students. They were all suspended until they choose return to school without an armband, which was not until their protest ended on New Year’s Day.5 These three, among various suspensions, were represented by
Elizabeth Mosakowski
Mrs. Dabalos
IB History
806 Words Through the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, it is made known that no law can declare an official religion, prevent people from peacefully assembling, petitioning, or take away the freedoms of speech and press. Now in the twentieth century the Supreme Court has shown an increased willingness in their judiciary position to interpret the ammendment’s guarantees.1 The First Amendment rose to its high place in the American political culture not only because of controversies, pitting citizens against the state, but also the persistence of political leaders to portray the virtues in wide open debate and religious worship.2 Cases over the freedom of speech, until the twentieth century, dealt with false and scandalous writing against others, but as time went on the same interpretations in court were challenged by educational cases. In December 1965, representatives from small peace groups met in Christopher Eckhardt’s Des Moines home with an agenda.3The mere 60 students that gathered agreed to wear black armbands in order to protest America’s involvement in the war, mourn the casualties it brought on, but also they were in support of the Christmas truce that would stop the fighting for the holidays. When Mary Beth, John Tinker and Christopher Eckhardt chose to partake in this protest, on December 16, 1965 they were going against the policy the principals of the schools had put in place, two days earlier, banning armbands.4 Administrators were ultimately concerned about the safety of the student body, but in setting the policy they recognize its effects and determined if what they were doing was in the best interest of the students. They were all suspended until they choose return to school without an armband, which was not until their protest ended on New Year’s Day.5 These three, among various suspensions, were represented by