Recently I had an unexpected opportunity to explain the First Amendment to my youngest son James, especially the right to free speech.

As we were walking home from his school, he told me the boys’ bathroom had been flooded. Unfortunately, this was part of an odious Tik Tok challenge called Devious Licks. The challenge was to steal or destroy school property, and it’s happening all over. I expressed my dismay that this was happening at his elementary school. I understand the vandalism was also happening in the secondary schools. I told James I wished Tik Tok, an online video platform that seems to have taken the pranking videos that used to be prolific on YouTube, could be banned.

James asked if Tik Tok could be banned. (I don’t let him watch it, but some of the YouTubers I work with mention Tik Tok.) I explained that the First Amendment gives us the right to freedom of speech. For the most part, we are free to express our opinions without fear of government reprisal. Of course there are some limitations, but in contrast to countries that don’t have this right, we are very fortunate.

I did not mention that the divorce agreement includes a provision that neither my ex nor I is allowed to say anything derisive about the other in James’ presence. Sometimes, curbing freedom of speech is sensible. It’s called decorum, or having good manners, or simply being polite.

I talked about the Federal Communications Commision, and how it can use fines and other actions to keep broadcasters in line. Though in the end, the Tik Tok challenge and its hashtag were removed by Tik Tok, thousands of dollars in damages have already occurred in our schools.

So James got a history lesson, and Tik Tok is still not welcome in our home.