Our Freedom of Speech is Freedom or Death

On Friday, the conservative’s favorite court, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, issued what could be a landmark ruling for freedom of speech. The ruling basically states that a school cannot punish a student from exercising their freedom of speech by holding up signs that go against school policy. The sign that sparked this very important ruling: Bong Hits 4 Jesus. Thus the reason you now get to see such wonderful headlines such as "Court Rules "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" Is Protected Speech. As Yakov Smirnov would say, "what a country."

Our story begins in those halcyon days of '02 and at Juneau-Douglas High School in Juneau Alaska. The Olympic torch was supposed to pass by the High School and the school was let out to watch the proceedings, camera crew at the ready to capture the moment. As the flame passed and the cameras clicked away, then 18-year-old Joseph Frederick unfurled his banner. For this, he was suspended by the Principal for saying something pro-drugs, something which went against the school's policy of not being pro-drug. The student, Joseph Frederick sued. Which is how it wound up at the Ninth.

In a 3-0 ruling, the court based their decision upon a 1969 ruling by the Supreme Court, which ruled that a 15-year-old girl had the right to wear a black armband to protest the war. We'll let you figure out what it means that freedom of speech issues once involved anti-war statements and now seem to involve stupid pranks.

One final thing-- the lawyer who defended the school? His name was David Crosby. Insert "Teach Your Children Well" joke here.