Last month, the LPS program had an assembly meeting with Mary Beth Tinker. Tinker is a free speech activist, and promotes the rights of students. In 1969, she was heavily involved in the landmark Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines. In this court case, Tinker, her brother, and many other students wore black armbands in order to peacefully protest against the Vietnam War. However, the school restricted their freedom of expression and had banned the armbands, consequently resulting in her and other students being suspended for their violation of the rules of the district. This case was eventually brought to the Supreme Court, where the final ruling was that the students had the right to protest, as students do not lose their 1st Amendment rights as soon as they are on school property.

Mary Beth Tinker explained the case to the students at our school, and stated her beliefs regarding the rights of students. She believes that students are entitled to their rights, and that we should fight for them. Her case is crucial in the preservation of the rights of students, and set a precedent for decades to come.