Posted on 03/11/2006 1:00:05 PM PST by wagglebee
An Alaska high school violated a student's free speech rights by suspending him after he unfurled a banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" across the street from the school, a federal court ruled on Friday.
Joseph Frederick, a student at Juneau-Douglas High School in Alaska, displayed the banner -- which refers to smoking marijuana -- in January 2002 to try to get on television as the Olympic torch relay was passing the school.
Principal Deborah Morse seized the banner and suspended the 18-year-old for 10 days, saying he had undermined the school's educational mission and anti-drug stance.
Friday's ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco overturned a decision by a federal court in Alaska that backed Frederick's suspension and said his rights were not violated.
The appeals court said the banner was protected speech because it did not disrupt school activity and was displayed off school grounds during a non-curricular activity.
"Public schools are instrumentalities of government, and government is not entitled to suppress speech that undermines whatever missions it defines for itself," Judge Andrew Kleinfeld wrote in the court's opinion.
The court also cleared the way for Frederick to seek damages, saying Morse was aware of relevant case law and should have known her actions violated his rights.
I'm surprised the Ninth Circus didn't rule that the reference to bonghits was free speech, but not the part about Jesus.
Good thing he didn't display the Confederate flag,
Anything that degrades Christianity, as that banner did, is just fine with the enemies of Christ.
I'd like to see the Ninth Circus' ruling on the following free speech banners in or around government schools:
"Abortion is infancide."
"Homosexuality is perversion."
"The Second Amendment protects our right to keep and bear arms."
"Support our troops"
"Overthrow the National Education Association"
Would you rather he take the bong hits for Satan? ;)
Far out dude!!!
The court was right. It's none of the school's business what it's students do off school property on their own time.
I would be interested to see their response to that too.
GOD MADE HERB
GOD SAW THAT IT WAS GOOD
GOD GAVE IT TO MAN
Genesis 1:11
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was so.
Genesis 1:12
And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:29
And God said, "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.
Matthew 15:11
Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
Romans 14: 2-3
For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Proverbs 15:17
Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.
Yeah, but keep in mind that for a lot of people "free speech" only means "free speech" when they agree with it.
Yes, but please bear in mind that for most people the bible is only to be taken literally when it says what they want it to say.
"for most people the bible is only to be taken literally when it says what they want it to say."
"Whoever thinks he understands divine scripture or any part of it, but whose interpretation does not build up the twofold love of God and neighbor, has not really understood it." St. Augustine
They were right, but probably for the wrong reasons.
Medicinal use and recreational use are worlds apart. I would guess, that the overwhelming use of marijuana, as is alcohol, is recreational. Something Christians should oppose because it is counterproductive to the will and glory of God. And the Bible commands us to abstain from intoxication.
But as a Christian, I am more interested in the winning of souls for the Lord, than the laws of men that force their submission. The forced submission of men to their laws, does not glorify God.
"As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction."- Peter 3:16 KJV
FWIW!
RE:"Demon Weed".
The demonization of any material substance is an extension of the Manichaean Heresy. When heresy becomes the religion of the state
and people are persecuted or imprisoned for opposing beliefs then
we have tyranny.
In all seriousness, in my view the question a Christian should ask oneself is whether the recreational use of marijuana is the greater transgression or whether the persecution and victimization of those who use marijuana recreationally is the greater transgression.
Standard disclaimer: I am no longer Christian, though I was once upon a time quite devout and studied the scriptures intensely.
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