I have come to view the Tinker decision in the context of children’s rights and international human rights, and decided that if democracy means anything, it means that the ones affected by policies—including young people—should have a voice in those policies. By sharing my experience and the experiences of other youths, I found that I could empower students to be active participants in democracy, taking steps that may not always be popular, but could have important lasting effects and ultimately change history.

Joseph Tomain links to this article by Tinker.