In the months after Tinker v. Des Moines was decided, students began to test the boundaries of their rights within the First Amendment. Dress and hair codes became more relaxed. Another result of the Tinker verdict was that students enjoyed more freedom in their writing. As Justice Black predicted, a new era of permissiveness was at hand. Tinker v. Des Moines established the “Tinker Standard”. This means that school officials must first determine if the exercising of the student’s rights will cause a disruption in the school environment, cause others to feel threatened or cause an infringement upon the rights of others. School officials now have the responsibility to uphold the Tinker Standard.
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Another effect of Tinker v. Des Moines was that students were inspired to stand up for what they believed in. More sit-ins and marches protesting the Vietnam War occurred after the verdict. One example was the Kent State Massacre in 1970. Several college students protesting the war were shot by Ohio National Guardsmen. College students still opposed the draft by burning their draft cards.
"This nation was founded by men of many nations and backgrounds. It was founded on the principle that all men are created equal, and that the rights of every man are diminished when the rights of one man are threatened." –John F. Kennedy |
"We’d gotten a lot of threats. A man who had a radio talk show threatened my father on the air. Red paint was thrown on our house. A woman called on the phone, asked for me by name, and then said, ‘I’m going to kill you!’"–Mary Beth Tinker |