NC school backs down on prohibiting anti-abortion speech

Over the years, Christians and conservatives have lost a number of (what were once considered) liberties via our over-active judiciary.  A trend that has become so strong that many times the mere threat of lawsuit by groups such as the ACLU would result in another loss.  But things are changing.  At least in terms a more successful conservative focus on using the judiciary as a weapon in the culture wars as well.

An example of a recent success comes from North Carolina, where a high school student was prohibited from wearing a shirt with a pro-life message and distributing literature.  One legal letter (and one the threat of a lawsuit one would guess) and the school district backed down.

From the story:

A North Carolina high school is backing down after a pro-life legal group helped a pro-life student who faced a revocation of her free speech rights. Brianna Cardwell wanted to participate in the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity sponsored by Stand True Ministries.

The day is an opportunity for students to wear red tape or armbands to show their solidarity with unborn children who can't speak for themselves.

It features pro-life t-shirts and fliers explaining how abortion kills unborn children and has adversely impacted society.

Caldwell wore a T-shirt with the word "abortion" crossed out and distributed her fliers during non-instructional time to her classmates that explained her pro-life views.

The girl was told to cover up her shirt and her fliers were confiscated.  How's that for 1st Amendment protection?

But it gets better.  In what should be a testament to just how upside down this politically correct world has become, the school official involved stated that the shirt and fliers were "offensive" and violated the "separation of church and state".

Huh?  Since when does free speech violate the (non-constitutional) notion of separation of church and state?  Was it because she was a student of a public school and therefore some kind of de-facto government official?  Who knows.

In the end however, the school district backed down and returned her materials and said she would be able to wear her pro-life shirt and distribute her literature in the future.