Time and Place

I think that preventing or limiting students’ right to free speech, is preventing important conversations and lessons to be facilitated in the classroom setting. However, I do not think that putting expectations into effect is necessarily a bad thing. For example, in terms of the case of Morse v. Frederick, I think that the students knew and fully understood that their expression was inappropriate. The students chose to conduct themselves in a certain way and were well aware that there would be consequences. I do not think that they should have been punished with expulsion, because rather than preventing learning in the classroom they facilitated a lesson with real life application.

Contrary to some of the stories that my classmates shared in class this week, I think that our school is pretty lenient when dealing with controversial incidents relating to freedom of expression among our student body. For example, the other day in the hallway I noticed a group of students discussing their weekend activities which apparently included unappreciated behavior. A teacher overheard these girls and rather than sending them to the dean or simply saying, “You’re not allowed to say that,” the teacher made her presence clear and said, “Remember who your audience is.”

This is an interesting take on the freedom of speech debate. As I think about it, it is a more realistic take on any that we have studied yet. It is true that I am more willing to discuss certain issues and topics with one group of friends while discussing something different with others. It is not like certain people tell me I am not allowed to discuss something with them, but I usually would not do it anyway. I feel like this is the same for students in the school setting. Most students would not blatantly swear or use profanity in front of a teacher but are much more willing to do so with their friends.

Has society bred us to not be ourselves all of the time? If so, I do not think it is necessarily a bad thing.