Political people in US

As the writer, Voltaire, wrote – "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." Not being a particularly brave person myself I can't say that I'd defend to the death your right to say anything but I will certainly defend your right to free speech as well as I can.

This brings me to my take on the Bong Hits 4 Jesus debacle which is now taking place in our country, in Alaska to be precise. Apparently a senior student at Juneau-Douglas High School, one Joseph Frederick, took it upon himself to make and display a large banner at a school function proclaiming the nonsensical headline "Bong Hits 4 Jesus."

It must be argued fairly in Mr. Frederick's favor, that his banner was not being displayed ON school grounds although it could definitely be seen while standing on the school campus. Mr. Frederick asserts that the banner is not pro drug (although I fail to see his logic when the banner clearly states "4" as in "Bong Hits For Jesus").

The school's position is that the banner was being shown during a school sponsored function, albeit off of school property.

This scenario unfolded during an Olympic Torch Relay in 2002. It is just now coming to the attention of the national media thanks to former Whitewater special counsel Kenneth Starr who has petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to take up Alaska's Bong Hits 4 Jesus case. Starr filed the petition recently on behalf of the Juneau School District in response to a March ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The appeals court sided with the student, stating that former Juneau-Douglas High School principal, Deborah Morse, violated former student Joseph Frederick's free speech rights.

Frederick was suspended for violating the school's policy of promoting illegal substances at a school-sanctioned event. "The principal's actions were so outrageous, basically leaving school grounds and punishing a student for a message that is not damaging to the school," said his attorney, Doug Mertz.

Superintendent Peggy Cowan said clarification is needed on the rights of administrators when it comes to disciplinary action of students who break the district's drug message policy.

This situation is definitely a sticky wicket. How do we proclaim the right of all our citizens having free speech, yet deny our students this same right?

Yes, as a parent who has lost a child to the disease of addiction, I am offended whenever I see signs or hear songs or read anything extolling the virtue of drug abuse. But we cannot give up our rights, so valiantly fought for so many years ago, just because someone is saying something that we don't like or with which we disagree.

Voltaire was spot on. I like to think that if he were alive today he would still defend another's right to free speech. As repulsive as the pro drug abuse issue is to me, the thought of losing our right to free speech is even more repulsive.