The first amendment right is all about free speech, press, assembly, religion, and the right to petition. Shouldn’t everyone love to have these rights? Then why is there so much controversy over it? It seems like more and more people are being violated of their first amendment rights.

In the court case Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent School District students were violated of their first amendment right. Students wore black armbands to protest the vietam war. When the principle found out he adoptedpolicy that students will be asked to remove the armbands. Chris and Mary Beth still decided to do so and were sent home. Iowa Civil Liberties filed a complaint on behalf of Chris. The case reached the Supreme Court in 1968 and they ruled that the school violated the rights of the students.

In the written decision it was said only if the school could prove disruption or harmful to anyone then it would have ok to suspend the students.

In the SPLC report a student was suspended from Roger High School in Minnesota for a sarcastic tweet. The student and his family filed a lawsuit saying it was meant to be taken sarcastically. They found no evidence of inappropriate relationship.

In the article “Minnesota student suspended for a tweet about a teacher sues school district, police chief,” it states that the school never specified what disruption he cause.

The trial of John Peter Zenger was an important step toward freedom. He was accused of libel for pointing out the corruption of the government. The verdict came to a conclusion that he was not guilty.

At the trial it was argued that he could not be arrested for the truth and it was freedom of the press.