'BONG HITS 4 JESUS'

In a 6-3 decision yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled that a high
school principal was within her authority to suspend an 18-year-old
student who unfurled a 14-foot banner across the street from school
grounds that read "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" during the Olympic torch's pass
through Juneau, Alaska in 2002. Given the circumstance of the case,
it is hard to find a good guy.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion, "It was
reasonable for (the principal) to conclude that the banner promoted
illegal drug use and that failing to act would send a powerful
message to the students in her charge." By tacitly endorsing the
spectacularly failed "war" on drugs, the court makes the mistake of
thinking that this ruling will do something to impact drug use among minors.

What this ruling does is further restrict the ability of students to
exercise their free speech rights and allow administrators to slowly
expand their influence over all aspects of students' lives. However,
what makes this ruling really sting isn't just its laughable
foundation of morality.

The student, now 24, freely admitted to reporters that he pulled this
stunt solely to tick off his principal with whom he had a history. He
didn't even have much grounds for his suit because students were let
out of classes to watch the torch and were accompanied by teachers.

That one of the most important free speech cases in recent memory was
adjudicated on such a meaningless action is particularly troubling
because it will no doubt impact the voicing of more significant forms
of speech.

By pulling the stunt in the first place and taking it all the way to
the Supreme Court, all Joseph Frederick accomplished was reinforcing
the false belief that high school students cannot be trusted to use
their rights responsibly. That the court had little sympathy for him
(and students more generally) is unfortunately not surprising.

Perhaps a better form of speech will involve a sign-in protest,
reading "Morse v. Frederick."