Mary Beth Tinker has written a diary below under the "ACLU" account here.
If you've studied First Amendment law, you'll probably remember that Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, which was decided 40 years ago today, is a critical case regarding free speech by students, something that has been rolled back in recent years by the Rehnquist and Roberts Courts. This is the case that validated the right of students to wear black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War. Mary Beth Tinker is that Tinker. The diary is her recollection and discussion of the case, which as she notes still protects students' rights today.
If you haven't studied First Amendment law, here's a chance to learn something precious from the plaintiff in a major free speech case, who is continuing to walk the walk and talk the talk 40 years later. Our preservation of our rights depends, before anything else, on our understanding them.
I think it's an honor that DKos is among the venues -- or, for all I know, the venue -- for this commemoration of this great Supreme Court decision. I encourage readers to go down and read that diary before it scrolls off the list; if you can recommend it, so that others may have the chance to learn or celebrate this important piece of progressive history later today, please do. Right now, it has only 18 comments, although it has 40 tips. Given what free speech means to all of us, it's a good time to engage in some.
Happy Fat Tuesday!
[Update: Mission accomplished! Thanks to those who helped to ensure that Mary Beth Tinker's diary made the Rec List, where others can read it and decide whether to add their own Recs. (I'm confident that, now that it's there, it'll hang around for a good while.) Next time your kids want to wear something as part of a political protest to school, thank Mary Beth Tinker and the ACLU!]