Social Studies Extended Response 1

In 1969 the students in Des Moines Independent Community School got suspended for protesting the Vietnam War by wearing black arm bands. The students that wore the arm bands should have not been suspended from school because they did no wrong. In the First Amendment it states that we have the right to freedom of speech. That’s why the courts sided with the students. They felt that the students did no wrong by wearing the arm bands do to the fact that they did not harm any students nor staff with this protest.

If the situation was different, say like if the student’s protest was violent, harming or threatening to staff and other students, then that’s when the school officials may prohibit student conduct when it comes to this type of protesting.

Another Social Studies Extened Response 1

This case explores the concept of freedom of speech, the students decided to wear arm bands to protest the Vietnam War. Students thought it would be a way to handle the protest against stopping the war without being disruptive. Instructors of the school committee thought it would bring attention so they suspended the students and the case went to the courts.

   The court verdict gave them the opportunity to wear their arm bands during school sessions as a way of freedom of speech. For example the students peacefully expressed their opinion. They didn’t come in the classrooms and began to shout “stop the war”.  Students should have the same rights equally. Also the school should have been flexible with their decisions to suspend them.  There were other options like detention, parent/ teacher conferences and volunteer to keep the students from being suspended. 

Social Studies Extended Response 1

There were three students suspended from school for wearing arm bands to protest the Vietnam War. Also, the court found that school officials acted unconstitutionally in suppressing the students’ freedom speech rights. School officials may limit student conduct which “materially disrupts or involves disorder in the classroom.” This case did not allow them to express their freedom of speech.

            I personally feel that the three students should not have gotten suspended for wearing arm bands to protest the Vietnam War. Wearing their arm bands didn’t cause any problems at school, nor was it violent in any way. In addition, the first amendment states that the people have a right to peaceably to assemble. For example, the arm bands were a symbol of their opinions, getting the attention of their peers, and protesting for the war. This should not be seen as an issue because they were showing their opinion silently.