Do I have any constitutional rights as a minor?

[rahvin]

<< umm when some stranger for no reason and walk up to me and say $hit in my face, i would consider it threatning. i might even give him the finger because this is called fighting words, you cant provoke other people with your speech so that it escalates into a fight >>



Oh contraire! You can provoke people all you want. If you couldn't there would be a whole hell of a lot of arrests at professional sports competitions because I've heard some athlete's called some nasty stuff. Try again.

 

[tcsenter]

<< obscenity is protected, just can't direct it at others. >>

Tell that to the guy in Michigan who was arrested, prosecuted, and convicted of shouting public obscenities during a canoe trip in the presence of women and children. His conviction has yet to be overturned.

Obscenity is not protected as long as the language 'deemed' obscene by the law serves no purpose for conveying core speech or expression protected by the 1st Amendment. The 1st Amendment at its core is about protecting POLITICAL speech, not any old thing that might come out of someone's mouth.

Obscenity as speech for the sake of obscenity alone is 'speech' at the fringe edges of 1st Amendment's protections, and thus may be restricted in certain ways. No law could prohibit you from using obscenities in your own home, but we can and do regulate what you say in public. Many states don't, but they certainly could.

 

[Imdmn04]

<<

<< obscenity is protected, just can't direct it at others. >>

Tell that to the guy in Michigan who was arrested, prosecuted, and convicted of shouting public obscenities during a canoe trip in the presence of women and children. His conviction has yet to be overturned.

Obscenity is not protected as long as the language 'deemed' obscene by the law serves no purpose for conveying core speech or expression protected by the 1st Amendment. The 1st Amendment at its core is about protecting POLITICAL speech, not any old thing that might come out of someone's mouth.

Obscenity as speech for the sake of obscenity alone is 'speech' at the fringe edges of 1st Amendment's protections, and thus may be restricted in certain ways. No law could prohibit you from using obscenities in your own home, but we can and do regulate what you say in public. Many states don't, but they certainly could. >>



ok i think you are right, sounds logical to me, i admit, my mistake. cleared out some gray area of the law for me

 

[Freejack2]

You have no rights.

 

[b0mbrman]

<< My civics teacher says I don't. Does this mean that the police could just arrest me and throw me in jail for speaking against president Bush? Am I NOT gaurenteed life, liberty and the prusit of happieness? Also, WHY don't I have Cconstitutoanl rights? I read the whole thing today, and no where did I see
"P.S. This document only applys to those older than 18. Tom Jefferson" >>


I'm sure you don't get all of them but you probably get most.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Rahvin - On a national level there is no law against verbal provocation, but many states and local ordinances can and DO classify it as a crime. Any public obscenities are covered under obscenity laws and could result in legal action. Any speech which is threatening is classified as verbal assault, and possibly other things depending on circumstances (racial slurs, etc).