"Bong Hits 4 Jesus": Free-Speech Case Divides Bush and Religious Right

[demobabe]

WASHINGTON, March 17 — A Supreme Court case about the free-speech rights of high school students, to be argued on Monday, has opened an unexpected fissure between the Bush administration and its usual allies on the religious right.

As a result, an appeal that asks the justices to decide whether school officials can squelch or punish student advocacy of illegal drugs has taken on an added dimension as a window on an active front in the culture wars, one that has escaped the notice of most people outside the fray. And as the stakes have grown higher, a case that once looked like an easy victory for the government side may prove to be a much closer call.

On the surface, Joseph Frederick’s dispute with his principal, Deborah Morse, at the Juneau-Douglas High School in Alaska five years ago appeared to have little if anything to do with religion — or perhaps with much of anything beyond a bored senior’s attitude and a harried administrator’s impatience.

As the Olympic torch was carried through the streets of Juneau on its way to the 2002 winter games in Salt Lake City, students were allowed to leave the school grounds to watch. The school band and cheerleaders performed. With television cameras focused on the scene, Mr. Frederick and some friends unfurled a 14-foot-long banner with the inscription: “Bong Hits 4 Jesus.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/18/washington/18scotus.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[panader0]

1. "One toke over the line sweet Jesus"

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

[stellanoir]

2. Kids. . .gotta love 'em

This whole concept of this case going before the SCOTUS just cracks me up.

[CJCRANE]

3. Only a pothead

could come up with such an inane slogan.

:silly:

[wuushew]

4. You know something is wrong when Ken Star is working pro-bono

The Bush administration entered the case on the side of the principal and the Juneau School Board, which are both represented by Kenneth W. Starr, the former solicitor general and independent counsel. His law firm, Kirkland & Ellis, is handling the appeal without a fee.

[maxsolomon]

5. a ridiculous case, and i fully expect the SC to rule against free speech

the SC has no legitimacy until every one of the Bush 5 are gone.

[demobabe]

9. While they're sitting there

What they say goes... whether we like it or not. :(

[Dhalgren]

6. Lawyer Starr is a blithering idiot. I mean, a complete moron. He doesn't even seem to pretend

to make any sense. This is so ridiculous. If the school turned out for watching the torch pass and they had cheerleaders and the band playing and whatever, then an individual expression of humor, using non-threatening and non-vulgar language is so harmless as to be silly. This was funny and it has become ludicrous...

[Reverend_Smitty]

7. As a general life rule...

I tend to oppose whatever Ken Starr supports and you know what? It's served me well so far

[mdmc]

14. nice

:yourock:

[wuushew]

8. kick

:kick:

[riderinthestorm]

10. The kid wasn't even on school property.

So the principal suspending him just made her look asinine.... He made up a hilarious sign (when I first read it, I laughed out loud!) to get teevee attention.

[originalpckelly]

13. Well, the issue is still up for debate, to some degree.

If the school was still legally in charge of the students (i.e. in loco parentis) then they do have a case, however, if they were dismissed to the charge of their parents (i.e. school was just let out early) then they (the school board) have no case at all.

[demobabe]

16. It sounds like the school was still in charge of the students

Interesting quote from the article:

It is the first Supreme Court case to do so directly since the court upheld the right of students to wear black arm bands to school to protest the war in Vietnam, declaring in Tinker v. Des Moines School District that “it can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”

[originalpckelly]

11. I wonder how they'd react to gong hits 4 Jesus?

:shrug:

[bryant69]

12. If you are going to defend free speech, you, unfortunately, have to defend

a lot of banal juvenile crap.

That's teh way it goes.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Blue_In_AK]

15. The really funny thing

is that pot isn't even illegal under Alaska state law. I hope the Bong Hits kid kicks their ass.

[demobabe]

17. kick

:kick: