School walkout

navy2022VA

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Does participating in a school walkout affect someone’s appointment? Please leave out personal political opinions
Edit: I am not participating but I think it is an important topic to address
 
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Why take a chance this close. It's easy for the go along crowd to find themselves surrounded by trouble if that is the aim of some. Your peaceful protest could be infiltrated by some subversive group looking to stir the pot and the next thing 50 people are being arrested for some broken windows or a burned car.
 
Agree with previous posters.
My take: I wouldn't think so. You have the right to peaceably assemble guaranteed by the Constitution. However, when you join the military, some of those rights are restricted. If you were to get arrested for blocking traffic, refusing a lawful order to disperse, etc., that would require an explanation; hence a road you probably would not want to go down.
Besides, how would they know? From what I recall, security questions that might apply to this center around the phrase "advocate violent or armed overthrow" type of behavior political groups...again as I recall.
 
I am going to, but only because my school has given permission for people to walk out if their parents send an email to the school. I don't think it will affect my application if the school gives permission, but I probably wouldn't risk it if my school didn't.
 
All actions have consequences....sure, you have the right to peaceful protest, but keep in mind that despite the "right", people will perceive your actions differently, and the constitution only protects against "state action" which infringes upon your rights. I laugh every time a public figure spouts off their political views -- in todays age that is guaranteed to piss off half their potential fan base (and frankly I don't care what some actor/actress/athlete thinks ).

As to the walk out itself...it's not really a walkout if the school is granting permission. However, if a school district takes action, it could impact you...regardless of how right you might be. For next years candidates -- think about how your Math and English teachers (right your evaluations) are going to perceive your participation (or lack of it).

Bottom line goes back to the first line -- All actions have consequences ...
 
Just so everyone knows what this 17-minute walk-out period is trying to get accomplished, they want to;
  • Ban assault weapons
  • Require universal background checks before gun sales
  • Pass a gun violence restraining order law that would allow courts to disarm people who display warning signs of violent behavior.
Among other things, including showing support for the 17 victims, parents, friends, et al of the Parkland school shooting.

If that's what you want to do, then go for it.
 
As to the walk out itself...it's not really a walkout if the school is granting permission. However, if a school district takes action, it could impact you...regardless of how right you might be. For next years candidates -- think about how your Math and English teachers (right your evaluations) are going to perceive your participation (or lack of it).

Bottom line goes back to the first line -- All actions have consequences ...

I go to a private school, so I'm pretty sure there's no school district to take action against my school. My English teacher has done some things to show that he definitely supports gun control, so I don't think he'll put anything negative on my recommendation for going to the walk out. And I don't think my math teacher will either. Also, most of the school is going to the walk out, so it is unlikely that anyone at the school will take action against individual students, especially if they have permission to go. But that's just the environment of my school, and there are probably other schools where it is different. It really depends on the school that someone goes to and whether the majority of the people there agree on going to the walk out.
 
Does participating in a school walkout affect someone’s appointment? Please leave out personal political opinions
Edit: I am not participating but I think it is an important topic to address

From a purely Constitutional standpoint, it is unconstitutional for schools - public or private - to ban or curtail the exercise of protest or free speech in school (Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent Community School District 1969). Private schools usually enroll students at-will, so many have no due process to dis-enroll students. In other words, some could boot you with or without cause. You'd have to check with your school about that. Either way, that SCOTUS ruling applies to public and private schools.

From the standpoint of the full and free exercise of Constitutionally-guaranteed rights, I am more than a little disappointed in the advice to play it safe or hold back (e.g. this is not a personal attack on those individuals). Here is one young person willing to exercise their Constitutional rights to speak and assemble, who is dedicated to at least five years as an officer sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It seems to me that apathy is one of its most insidious enemies. Defending the Constitution is never safe or convenient, but it is absolutely necessary.

@navy2022VA , if you are worried about the effect on a SA or ROTC application, it seems to me you could make that a theme of an essay.
 
Does participating in a school walkout affect someone’s appointment? Please leave out personal political opinions
Edit: I am not participating but I think it is an important topic to address



From the standpoint of the full and free exercise of Constitutionally-guaranteed rights, I am more than a little disappointed in the advice to play it safe or hold back (e.g. this is not a personal attack on those individuals). Here is one young person willing to exercise their Constitutional rights to speak and assemble, who is dedicated to at least five years as an officer sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It seems to me that apathy is one of its most insidious enemies. Defending the Constitution is never safe or convenient, but it is absolutely necessary.

@navy2022VA , if you are worried about the effect on a SA or ROTC application, it seems to me you could make that a theme of an essay.

Here is a post that stresses the importance of exercising a Constitutional right. But the motive behind this act is to deny a constitutional right to many others. It gets dicey when one tries to cherry pick their favorite parts of the Consitution.

“...Enemies, foreign or Domestic”
The foreign ones are easier to identify...
 
Does participating in a school walkout affect someone’s appointment? Please leave out personal political opinions
Edit: I am not participating but I think it is an important topic to address

From a purely Constitutional standpoint, it is unconstitutional for schools - public or private - to ban or curtail the exercise of protest or free speech in school (Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent Community School District 1969). Private schools usually enroll students at-will, so many have no due process to dis-enroll students. In other words, some could boot you with or without cause. You'd have to check with your school about that. Either way, that SCOTUS ruling applies to public and private schools.

From the standpoint of the full and free exercise of Constitutionally-guaranteed rights, I am more than a little disappointed in the advice to play it safe or hold back (e.g. this is not a personal attack on those individuals). Here is one young person willing to exercise their Constitutional rights to speak and assemble, who is dedicated to at least five years as an officer sworn to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. It seems to me that apathy is one of its most insidious enemies. Defending the Constitution is never safe or convenient, but it is absolutely necessary.

@navy2022VA , if you are worried about the effect on a SA or ROTC application, it seems to me you could make that a theme of an essay.

My guess is most or many schools won't ban or curtail. In my son's case, the school district made clear there will be no grace for missed classwork. So, students missing scheduled exams, scheduled/unscheduled quizzes, or in-class assignments will receive zeros for unexcused absences...

My son is 18 years old. His decision.
 
From a purely Constitutional standpoint, it is unconstitutional for schools - public or private - to ban or curtail the exercise of protest or free speech in school (Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent Community School District 1969).

Not applicable here,

If one cuts class without permission, then it's cutting class whether one wants to make a political statement, oversleeps or just doesn't feel like going to class. It's cutting class.
 
My guess is most or many schools won't ban or curtail. In my son's case, the school district made clear there will be no grace for missed classwork. So, students missing scheduled exams, scheduled/unscheduled quizzes, or in-class assignments will receive zeros for unexcused absences...

My son is 18 years old. His decision.

+1
 
From a purely Constitutional standpoint, it is unconstitutional for schools - public or private - to ban or curtail the exercise of protest or free speech in school (Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent Community School District 1969)

Be careful about legal advice on the internet.... It has been >25 years since I took Constitutional Law, but remember that the US Constitution applies only to "state action". In other words, instruments of the government (including your public school board) cannot infringe upon your US Constitution rights. I vaguely recall Tinker.....but the title says what I need - Des Moines Community School District, ie. public school. While there may be subsequent case law extending Tinker to private schools, I don't think Tinker extended to private schools. As a rule of thumb, the Supremes are pretty good at limiting their rulings to the issue in front of them.

From the standpoint of the full and free exercise of Constitutionally-guaranteed rights, I am more than a little disappointed in the advice to play it safe or hold back
If one cuts class without permission, then it's cutting class whether one wants to make a political statement, oversleeps or just doesn't feel like going to class. It's cutting class.

The Supremes have long held that government can place reasonable time, means and place restrictions on assembly and freedom of speech. The contemplated walkout is a disruption of school activities, and a school district, public and private, is well within its rights to establish restrictions. Further, as CB points out, the school district is well within its rights to enforce its existing attendance policies -- I don't think that the enforcement of a policy that has been in place long before the walkout will be a problem , regardless of the student's rationale for cutting class.

Like I said above...actions have consequences. It's up to the indivdual to decide their priorities and take the lumps if they come.

Here is a post that stresses the importance of exercising a Constitutional right. But the motive behind this act is to deny a constitutional right to many others. It gets dicey when one tries to cherry pick their favorite parts of the Consitution.
At the risk of getting political, the oath of office does not pledge to support and defend only those portions of the Constitution you agree with.
 
I am not participating but......

When you ask us to speculate on hypothetical situations, you are going to get a lot random input that may have no direct relation to what your particular school is doing. If the activity is only for 17 minutes (based on some other post), then I doubt there would even be time to leave school property.
 
It's not the school or whether you have permission that is the issue. The issue is the possibility that other students cause trouble that you (inadvertently) are caught up in. That would be out of your control and very bad.
 
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