Vietnam And Des Moines Essay, Research Paper

In December 1965, a large group of families located in the Des Moines School

District decided that they would support a proposed cease-fire for the Vietnam

War by wearing black armbands. The Des Moines Public School District met in

advance, and held some hearings on its behalf. They found that this could

potentially cause a disruption in the school classroom, and created a rule

prohibiting students who wore the armband to school, punishing them by a

suspension until they complied with the new rule. A young woman, Mary Beth

Tinker, wore a black armband in clear defiance with the school?s new policy,

forcing the district and school officials to suspend her. 4 others were

suspended also, out of the 18,000 in the district. In the classroom and on

school grounds, children elicited many comments to the display of ?truce?.

There was no violence, but this ?school-ground-teasing? could easily become

so. On December 21, 1965, the school board met again and voted to uphold the

armband restriction after a few complaints from students and parents. The school

board members stated that it is their job to uphold order, and provide a safe

learning place for the children of America. This display of defiance and

cease-fire could potentially cause disorder within the school environment. It

was the school boards expert opinion that this could cause disorder.