Kids have free speech, even in California and, yes, all lives matter

“All lives matter.” That should not be a controversial statement, nor should the phrase “any life matters.”Unfortunately, in our divided nation, some on the left consider “all lives matter” a challenge to the slogan “Black Lives Matter.”If you say “all lives matter,” you risk offending the PC police.It’s confusing enough for adults — never mind for 6-year-old children.Yet a 6-year-old girl at Viejo Elementary School in San Juan Capistrano was disciplined for writing “any life” on a “Black Lives Matter” drawing that she gave to a black classmate in an innocent gesture of solidarity.That classmate’s mother emailed the school, which allegedly took action against the 6-year-old girl.The girl’s mother sued the school, claiming that it had violated the child’s First Amendment rights.District Court Judge David O.Carter — notorious for his left-wing activism — granted the school’s motion to throw out the case, saying that the drawing was not protected by the First Amendment.A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit — two judges appointed by Joe Biden, and one by George W.

Bush — disagreed.They ruled unanimously that even young children have First Amendment rights.Speech can be restricted only if it is disruptive to the school or threatens other students. Writing “any life” on a “Black Lives Matter” drawing — made by the student herself — does not qualify as a threat.California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.

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Never miss a story This may appear to be a small case, but it goes to the core of free speech.“All lives matter” is not an inherently offensive phrase.It simply states a moral truth that we all should acknowledge.In this case, the person who was offended was not the girl’s classmate, but the mother of that classmate....