Last week, the Westfield District Art Show stirred international online debate over the rights of students to voice their opinions through controversial art pieces. Although some viewers were offended by one installment, which depicted images of police brutality, the right of the students to convey their individual beliefs cannot be challenged based on the art’s content.

This year, the annual silk screen print installment in the show focused on three controversial topics: gender equality, modern technology and police brutality. In particular, the police brutality prints prompted heated debate over the right of students to voice their beliefs through art and the appropriateness of the artwork’s content.

As stated in the United States Constitution, a citizen’s right to free expression and to voice his or her opinion cannot legally be hindered. As students in a public school, these artists have the right to express their own opinions through the nonviolent medium of art. Students cannot be punished for their views and in fact, should be encouraged to share them.

Controversial issues need to be discussed within school environments, and the art installation is clearly the product of these conversations. Exposure to multiple sides of an issue can allow students to make their own judgments. The issue addressed by the artists was a reaction to the police violence recently reported in the media, not a student-led attack on police officers.

What would an art show be without pieces intended to spark emotion and discussion? Should schools ignore the benefits of discussing current events? It is important for high school students to be exposed to diverse issues and be allowed to form their own opinions on them. While the artistic installment itself is open to the viewer’s interpretation, the students’ right to freely express themselves should not be questioned.