BONG HITS FOR JESUS AND FREE SPEECH FOR ALL

The Editor-In-Chief's 'View From Here'

Being the editor in chief of a first amendment paper, and being outspoken
as far as using my first amendment right to freedom of speech, I feel I
must speak on the recent events going on in Washington D.C.

For those people unaware, the Supreme Court has been deliberating about a
student who was suspended from school in Juneau, Alaska for hanging up a
banner across the street from his school, but in plain view, with the words
"Bong Hits 4 Jesus," on it.

In 2002, Joseph Fredrick was suspended on the grounds that he posted
pro-drug messages directed at students. A lot of big names are weighing in
on this topic from many different camps. Kirkland and Ellis Law firm, the
firm that Kenneth Starr works for, has offered to represent the principal
who suspended Fredrick, for free.

I am not a drug user, nor do I care to become one, however, the fact that
this guy got suspended for a pro-drug reference off of campus is quite the
misuse of power, as long as it isn't on campus, it isn't within the
jurisdiction of the school, it becomes a matter for the police or something.

Free speech is challenged almost every single day believe it or not, and it
is the job of everyone student, teacher, child and adult to protect one of
the most sacred rights we have. If it is possible for someone to be
suspended from school, for writing something that was not libelous of
anyone, and simply places it in view of the audience he or she wished to
see this message, opinion or fact, then something is seriously wrong with
this country.

Preventing this sort of thing starts here, like decades ago, the road to a
better tomorrow starts on a college campus, whether it is a protest, or
just learning about the injustices in the world and realizing that our
rights are fragile.

It is emblazoned on our buildings, "be the change that you want to see in
the world." That change cannot happen if we do not have free speech, and a
guarantee that it will be protected. What I say, what others say, may not
be always agreed upon, however just be glad that we have the ability to say
things without being lined up on a wall and shot. Disagreements occur but
there is always a place to voice your opinions without persecution, be it
this newspaper, a banner hung in a provocative place, or the internet. We
are very fortunate to have such a right. I just wonder if people don't
realize how important it is as well. It can be very disconcerting. It
worries me to see our freedoms abused, so let's try and fix that shall we;
it will make this country a far more democratic and continually better
place to live.