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Speaker 1: I'm here to support free speech. Crowd singing: Has got to stay / Ho ho / Hey
Hey / Free speech in schools has got to stay / Ho ho / Hey Hey / Free speech in schools
has got to stay. Speaker 2: I'm here because I believe in First
Amendment rights and I believe that those rights apply to students, as much as they
apply to other people. Speaker 3: Following Tinker, schools have
been favored in freedom of speech cases. We're going to see today if that trend continues
or whether or not we're going to see a reversal. This case will be very important.
Speaker 4: Also I think it's really interesting that it got here today. I thought free speech
is pretty cut and dry, that you're able to have free speech in America, and I just wanted
to see what would happen. Speaker 5: I'm actually a high school teacher
and I'm inclined to side with the student on this one.
Speaker 6: I think everyone deserves a right to have a say of how their society is run,
as long as it is within the law. Speaker 7: There are some students right here
from Georgetown who are here. It would be like if they put up a protest sign, and their
professor gave them an F on the paper they're supposed to write, just simply because they
exercise free speech rights. Not on campus. Not during school.
Douglas: Good morning. We came here to the Supreme Court because we had a deep concern
about what the argument on the other side might do to free speech in this country for
many many thousands of American citizens. Speaker 8: You have to be really careful about
the kind of standards the court sets forth because what's being advocated would really
wipe out 40 years of case law and protections for basic free speech across the country.
Mary Beth: We need to encourage students to speak up in the schools and to have free speech
rights. I'm here to encourage the court to rule in favor of students right to free speech.
The young man that unfurled the banner had a lot more to say than the message that was
on the banner itself. I've spoken with him and I'm quite clear that he was speaking up
for the right of all students to free speech. Jason: There's a reason why the First Amendment
is first. That deals with all our ability to engage in our own philosophical and ideological
pursuits and to practice freedom of religion and to express ourselves. Free speech in the
schools is incredibly important because the school system is where the children of our
country, the leaders of tomorrow, potential voters ... This is where ideas are born and
where students have the opportunity to discuss politics and discuss social issues and form
their own identity and political ideologies. Any attempt by the school administration to
clamp down on that hurts not just the student's own ability to express themselves, but really
our society as a whole, as far as having broad debate.
Speaker 9: I thought it was a good hearing. The justices were well prepared and were particularly
interested in the free speech arguments that we advanced and I think sympathetic to the
idea of not putting school administrators in the position where they can suppress or
punish student speech merely because they disagree with it.
Speaker 10: We're visiting Washington and we thought this would be an interesting case
to come see about free speech and everything. I'm hoping that the role that ... The kid
shouldn't have gotten in trouble because it's free speech and he was across the street from
the school so ... Speaker 11: When I first read it, I can see
why a lot of people would instinctively side with the principal on this issue, but I think
when you look at it a little more, it's something that the child's parents need to regulate,
not the principal. Children do have free speech rights and those need to be protected.