What was the barnette ruling?

Answer 1

The Barnette ruling, issued by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1943, determined that students cannot be compelled to salute the flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools, as doing so would violate their First Amendment rights to free speech and free exercise of religion. This landmark decision arose from a case involving Jehovah's Witnesses, who objected to the salute on religious grounds. The Court emphasized the importance of protecting individual liberties against government coercion, reinforcing the principle that the state cannot dictate belief or expression.