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Letter
to parents re: Moot Court Activity As part of our study of [Select which is appropriate for your class: the First Amendment, the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution, the role and importance of law in the American constitutional system], we will be conducting a mock Supreme Court hearing. We will focus on Texas v. Johnson, the 1989 case involving burning the American flag. Because it concerned freedom of speech, Texas v. Johnson is a First Amendment case. Burning or defacing the American flag is an emotionally charged issue for most Americans. In the State of the First Amendment 2000, published by The Freedom Forum’s First Amendment Center, 51% of the adults surveyed opposed an amendment to the Constitution to prohibit flag-burning. Yet in the same telephone survey, 74% thought flag-burning as a form of political expression is wrong. In education, we are responsible for developing critical thinkers. Through the arguments presented to the court, students will be exposed to both sides of the flag-burning issue. By considering both sides of this and other controversial issues, students will be better able to make decisions when they become adults. If you have any questions about this activity, please call me or send a note to school with your child. We will hold the mock Supreme Court hearing on ______________. If you would like to visit class on the day of the mock hearing, let me know. I can be reached at ________________ (phone number) or _____________________ (e-mail). Sincerely,
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