You gotta love this seventh grader:
Putting its recent ruling on student speech into practice, the Supreme Court on Friday rejected a school district’s appeal of a ruling that it violated a student’s rights by censoring his anti-Bush T-shirt.
A seventh-grader from Vermont was suspended for wearing a shirt that bore images of cocaine and a martini glass – but also had messages calling President Bush a lying drunk driver who abused cocaine and marijuana, and the “chicken-hawk-in-chief” who was engaged in a “world domination tour.”
After his suspension, Zachary Guiles returned to school with duct tape covering the offending images.
Williamstown Middle School Principal Kathleen Morris-Kortz said the images violated the school dress code, which prohibits clothing that promotes the use of drugs or alcohol.
An appeals court said the school had no right to censor any part of the shirt.
World Domination Tour? I love it.
…the ‘bong hits for Jesus’ Supreme travesty. Six of one, half-dozen of the other.
As well as the end of Brown v. Board of Education.
I guess ‘Bong Hits 4 Bush’ would have been okay.
… Indeed, it’s hard to fathom how the SC could rationally distinguish the messages. Jesus is not a private individual — thanks to the shrill voices of his fanatical followers. And judging from their behavior, one can only conclude that Jesus took more than 4 hits off a bong… Nevertheless, I’m breathing a little easier (— but not easily by any means) that at least one public school student in America has been afforded his right to free speech.
but in a creeping manner. I don’t see how the Bong hits 4 Jesus was advocating illegal behavior. You have to add some syntax to that phrase to turn it into a command or request.
Any ideas on where one can buy the teeshirt? Seems like the kid should be rewarded for his stance, or at least reimbursed for his legal expenses…
Jim Et Al
The kid should stick his shirt on eBay.
While I do find the t-shirt to be quite hilarious – I wouldn’t want my kid wearing it. To be quite honest, I don’t see how a seventh grader has any forces other than the opinions of his parents to make a decision on the President’s capacities. Making your kid wear a shirt like that is as half-hazard as the parents in this story: I saw a little girl (about 10 or 11) at Walmart last month wearing a shirt that had a cross on it and it said “I stopped thinking and started believing” – I just thought to myself “who is the nim-witt that helped this poor little child get dressed this morning”.
In 7th grade I was already politically active and making my own decisions and had political and civil rights t-shirts I wore. While I know my Mom always voted, she never discussed who she was supporting at home.
I was drawing anti-Reagan cartoons in 1980 when I was 11. And I definitely had an opinion when he got shot. Of course, it was a sixth-graders opinion.
I don’t know any seventh graders who let their parents pick out their clothes.
If you don’t think a seventh grader can have an informed opinion about the POTUS you’re missing out on a lot of smart kids. Not all schools suck as bad as the ones I went to in the 60s and 70s. My teenager is waaay savvier politically than most adults.
If I ever adopt kids, I hope I find one as cool as this boy!