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A seventh-grade girl from Merced, Calif., has filed a lawsuit against her K-8 school for being forced to change out of her pro-life T-shirt.It was "National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day" (who knew?) and the girl didn't even get to finish her breakfast before being sent to the principal's office. Tossing that breakfast corn dog into the trash can was probably the best part of her day, because after that she was "forcibly escorted" to the office and told to change her shirt, which had some pictures of developing fetuses (feti?) on it, along with the charming slogan "Abortion growing ... growing ... gone."
She thinks her rights to freedom of speech were violated; the school says the shirt would have been disruptive towards the learning process.
A federal judge in Minnesota has already ruled that students should be able to wear pro-life slogans, but what do you think? Should pro-life or pro-choice propaganda be allowed in schools?
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Friday 19 February
By Lamby
What would make a judge go and say okay kiddies wear pro-life slogans to school? And I'm assuming that it is specifically pro-life slogans and not pro-choice slogan, thats what it seems like. Thats ridiculous, it would've just been easier and less problematic if we did things the old-fashioned way and when we go to school its because we are there to receive the education being offered, not to whine about what we can't wear there.
If kids can wear pro-life shirts it is only fair if others can choose to wear pro-choice? What kind of message is the judge that "ruled that kids should be able to wear pro-life slogans" trying to send? If you think abortion is bad you should be able to wear fetuses on your shirt but not when you think people should be able to make there own choice? That is why I think we need to keep abortion issues out of school, it is disrupting and if its kept up that is all that will go on at school, no learning just debates, learn at school, and debate political/social issues anywhere else.
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Friday 19 February
By Terri
Yes her rights were violated! Everyday someone wears something that is offensive to someone else but you don't see groups of children being told to change. Just what society has deemed too much for them to answer to. I hate Obama and so does my daughter and we feel seeing his face on kids t-shirts all day are offensive and disruptive to her learning but we haven't heard of anyone being told to change those type of shirts! This country and our schools have a double standard...Wear or say what we like or change! Where's the 1st amendment in that?
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Friday 19 February
By Mark
I have been told, i believe since 6th/7th grade (around the same time that some of us were starting to realize we could out smart our teachers) that when you come to school you loose the vast majority of your rights. It's pretty simple, if you want to be here, you have to do what we say. Just like work. When i was in school we had a kid made to change for wearing a "Straight Pride" Tee. And besides that how many 7th graders are taking stands about issues like abortion? Sounds like a parents ideals being pushed on to their child and into the schools. Keep YOUR OPINIONS to YOURSELF, none of us care.
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Friday 19 February
By deborah
The Constitiution does NOT say, "You have the right to free speech in the public arena as long as your subject is not an emotional one". It says we have the right to free speech. Period. ' Nuff said.
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Friday 19 February
By deborah
The Constitiution does NOT say, "You have the right to free speech in the public arena as long as your subject is not an emotional one". It says we have the right to free speech. Period. ' Nuff said.
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Friday 19 February
By womensan
Ok- so a kid can be pro-team, and can wear a t shirt that supports athleteics, or pro girl scounts or anything else, but can't wear a pro-life shirt?
As long as a t shirt is allowed in the dress code, not obscene, have foul language , etc., a citizen in the USA should be allowed to wear it.
I believe the "it could cause a disruption" argument was used to try to keep girls out of school, minorities out of white schools, women out of the workplace and military, etc. That excuse is lame.
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Friday 19 February
By Mom of a 7th grader
BRAVO!!! To the girl who wore the shirt! She has the right to to wear that under the freedom of speech laws, the school was wrong to impede that right, if my child wanted to wear that shirt I would personally escort her through out her to day just to see her have her rights protected. it's not about encouraging rebels it's about giving our children COURAGE to stand up for their beliefs and showing them that you support their COURAGE (some parents don't like their childrens beliefs and forbid them to actively believe it) My daughter has 100% of my support and encouragement to believe anything she wants.
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Friday 19 February
By Lisa
The parents did this on purpose. The seventh grader doesn't care about abortion. It is what the parents feed into her brain. She is a pawn. She should not wear the shirt at school. There are tons of rules on what kids can and can not wear to school. Why is this any different?
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Friday 19 February
By garyk57647
I am amazed at the "kids should be seen, not heard" attitude of many [posters. The Sup Ct has said that controversial logos like anti-war armbands MUST be allowed to be worn unless there is "IMMINENT DANGER OF SUBSTANTIAL DISRUPTION" of educational activties. Temporary teen tittering does not qualify. School is partly for learning CITIZENSHIp---kids vote at 18 now on everything from school levies to referendums on abortion & gay rights.
IT is FAR TOO LATE to lock the door against free expression in public schools. You have no right NOT TO BE OFFENDED; there is no "heckler's veto" in this country. Merced wiil find that out like neighboring Napa Valley school district that wasted 150k of tax money trying to expel a girl for wearing DISNEY TIGGER LOGO SOCKS!!!!
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Friday 19 February
By treega
So if a 7th grader (or any aged school child for that matter) wore
a pro-Obama t-shirt, or any other t-shirt for that matter that
expressed their preference or belief, would it be considered
"disruptive to learninbg"?!!
The issue here is not really even abortion (which is an important
issue and yes, should be discussed at that level in school since
there are so many sexually active middle schoolers these days, and if
not, they most likely will be in the near future, so need to think
about that issue beforehand), but the real issue is freedom of
speech. Sshirts with alcholic beverages should not be allowed because
that is illegal for all school aged kids, but in most places sex and
abortion are not.
They have to deal with it, so let 'em wear the shirt!!! Let the
discussions begin!
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Saturday 20 February
By a 7th grader myself
ersonaly, I''m pro choice, but many of my friends classmates and family members aren't. they have diferent opinions than me but it doesnt mean I dont like them or are going to comfront them. If someone in my class came in wearing that shirt I wouldnt think twice about it, because that would be her opinion.
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Monday 22 February
By linda thompson
By the seventh grade many teens have definite opinions regarding some very volatile issues. Parents that are active in pro life movement most assuredly have an impact on the thoughts and values instilled in their children but isn't that all part of parenting? We bestow our life values re: religion, education, politics, free speech, and, thank God, the sanctity of life, on our children. If we didn't we would surely be doing a disservice to our children, but even more importantly, to our Lord and Saviour!!
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Monday 12 April
By shit;ey brown
In my day we met after school at a little restaurant place with a coca cola
and debated our issues. We all dressed plainly.
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