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Does the First Amendment give students the right to display the Confederate flag on their clothing or their vehicles while students are at school? Students and schools in Connecticut and around the country have struggled with this question. Now, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Connecticut is making freedom of expression in the case of displaying the Confederate flag at school the subject of the First Amendment Essay Contest for Connecticut high school students.
The First Amendment Essay Contest provides an excellent opportunity for high school students in Connecticut to explore students' First Amendment rights, to develop critical thinking about the balance between individuals' rights to freedom of expression and others' rights and responsibilities, to express their ideas, and to have chances to win cash prizes.
The First Amendment Essay Content, which was sponsored by the Center for First Amendment Rights (CFAR) for years, is being sponsored by the ACLU-CT for the second time since CFAR and the ACLU-CT merged in 2008. The $1,000 Grand Prize for the best essay is named for Ethel S. Sorokin, CFAR's co-founder. The ACLU-CT continues to further CFAR's mission of building appreciation and understanding of the First Amendment across Connecticut.
This year's essay contest question is: "When, if ever, does the First Amendment permit students to wear or display the Confederate flag at a public school?" Students can access additional information about the essay contest and about real cases where courts across the U.S. have both upheld and rejected school bans on the Confederate flag here.
The deadline for submitting entries to the ACLU-CT is February 3, 2010. Students should e-mail their essays to: pdoyle@acluct.org. Essays should be under 1,000 words and will be evaluated based on understanding of the First Amendment, persuasiveness of their argument, creativity, and grammar/composition. Judges for the contest will represent diverse and balanced perspectives. While high schools and state legislators have been encouraged to inform students about this essay contest, students are welcome to submit essays on their own. Contest winners will be announced on April 12, 2010 at the 2010 Milton Sorokin Symposium.
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