COMPLACENCY IS AFFECTING THE COUNTRY

A hot topic in the news lately is the court case of Morse v.
Frederick, or more commonly known as the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case.
This is a case regarding a high school senior displaying a sign across
from his high school that stated "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" when the Olympic
torch passed through his hometown. When the school administration
caught wind of it, they forced him to take it down, and then suspended
him for 10 days.

Logically, this case should not even be up for debate. The principal
obviously violated the student's First Amendment rights when she made
him take the sign down, and then suspended him. A lower court decided
that the sign did not cause a disruption. It was also displayed off of
school grounds during a non-school-sponsored event. The jurisdiction
of the school ended at the schoolhouse gate. The student was in
violation of no school rule, and was simply exercising his free speech
rights.

The sad part about this whole situation is that the Supreme Court may
actually rule in favor of the school district, therefore setting a
dangerous precedent that gives school systems the ability to legally
censor anything that they deem to be 'inappropriate,' whether this
'inappropriate' speech occurs on or off school campuses.

I don't think enough people are angry about this.

Not only do we put up with illegal wiretaps, we put up with schools
censoring students whenever they please.

Just because we're scared of the terrorists, and just because we're
offended by something does not mean that we, as a country, should
simply shrug off the First Amendment, or any other amendments, for
that matter.

Our free speech rights are threatened every day by the government, as
well as other people in power, and it is our duty, as Americans, to
defend the right that many have died to protect.

And to say that an organization that protects our rights, such as the
ACLU, is anti-American and that they support terrorism is an ignorant
and outrageous accusation. The ACLU is here for one reason, and one
reason only: to protect our civil liberties.

Without a watchdog organization, government officials get away with
many illegal activities. Without concerned citizens, there is no
watchdog, and there is no resistance.

There is a reason that the terrorists hate us, and free speech plays
into that. To vanquish our rights, simply to protect ourselves from
them, is giving in.

I suppose that some people, however, don't ever say things that could
be considered offensive. To them, free speech is not necessary because
they never say anything. They don't have thoughts of their own, and
they're boring, middle-of-the-road people who adhere to whatever
ideology is popular at the time.

It's time for a change.

We need to become a country of thinkers. A country of people who are
unafraid to say what they want, and willing to fight for the rights
that protect that speech. Complacency and apathy is leading us on a
downward spiral that can only be reversed with education, and the
motivation to do what is right.

Lisbeth Wells-Pratt is a freshman undeclared major and a regular
contributor to The Rocket.