The Tinker versus Des Moines Independent school court case was a case that started in a local school in Iowa. Mary Beth Tinker was a thirteen year old at Des Moines Independent school. She and a small group of students were unsettled about the Vietnam war. In an attempt to speak out against the war and voice their opinions about it the students wore black armbands to school. It was a peaceful, harmless, and innocent protest. However it opened a can of worms concerning whether or not students should have the right to protest on school campuses. I believe that the rights we are given under the constitution should not be revoked purely because we are on a school campus.
Mary Beth Tinker and the other students never clearly voiced their reasoning for being upset about the Vietnam war. The problem that took the case to court was not the subject of the protesting. It was the very fact that they were protesting. When the children showed up to the school with the black armbands on the school faculty asked them to remove it. If the students refused to remove the armband they were sent home and suspended until they agreed to take the armbands off. The students did not return to school
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There is nothing wrong with protesting as long as it is kept peaceful and does not disturb the school or students inside of it. The Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent School is a case that is still reflected upon today. It is referred to in cases concerning freedom of speech. I think that when most people read about this case and look at all the fact and details they will see and agree that students of all ages should be allowed to exercise their rights at school. Schools can make decisions concerning what they want to happen and how they want people to act while on campus, but they can never decide that the people in their building are not entitled to their