Ben Lewandowski says he was only trying to be patriotic when he wore a homemade T-shirt featuring an American flag bumper sticker and the words "Remember 9/11" to Lincoln Park High School on Monday.
After all, it was Sept. 11 -- five years after the terrorist attacks.
The 17-year-old Lincoln Park resident put the shirt on Monday morning and headed to school -- where he was quickly sent to the office and suspended for three days for violating the school's dress code.
He was one of at least seven students sent home for wearing shirts featuring patriotic images and messages. It comes less than a week after three siblings were suspended for wearing shirts emblazoned with the First Amendment, despite warnings, and a week after more than 200 students were sent home on the first day of school for violating the district's dress code -- which bans apparel with writing or pictures.
I think this is a trend in the world now a days. I understand they have a policy and they want to be consistent. But administrators and bosses now a days make rules that ban everything or are very general due to the fact that there are so many people with no common sense. No thinking is necessary, no common sense needed if you simply say that you ban EVERYTHING...and the key word...NO EXCEPTIONS...
Of course common sense could have been used that day...but that is missing from much of America now.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
9/11 T-shirts no exception
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16 comments:
If the rule is no pictures or writing, then they deserved the punishment. But, good for them for not obeying.
I understand the rule...my point was that people hide behind absolute rules so that they do not have to think
I don't think that it's so they don't have to think game.
The reason for it is the same as schools who enforce uniforms; to prevent fighting, wearing skirts too short, to prevent anyone from wearing gang-banger logos, etc.
In this regard, they're right. Look, if you want to promote 9/11, say prayers for the victims. Don't wear it like a tacky advertisement. Sure, sometimes these things are worn to make a statement, but statements have their time and place, too. Not in a school that doesn't allow them.
I still hold. Good for anyone who breaks stupid rules like that. Its nice to know some of our youth have some actual balls.
In general I'm against "zero tolerance" rules because some students are punished simply because a teacher could not or wasn't allowed to make a judgement call.
That said, what would happen if twins came to school on 9/11 and one wore a T-shirt that said "Remember 9/11" and another said "Bush used 9/11"?
What's the call?
I actually agree with the administrators here. The rules are the rules -- you can't choose your own dress code when you go to work, so what makes school kids so special? I don't care if they're wearing T-Shirts that say "Republicans are Awesome" or "Jason Bowden is God." They're lucky they aren't wearing uniforms, so following simple instructions isn't too much to ask.
My only problem with the school is that they could have sent them home to change and used them as examples. Considering the nature of the shirts and the day it commemorates, the kids' intention was not malicious or negative in any way. On the other hand, the kids should have asked before hand and perhaps the school might have encouraged the entire student body to honor the fallen in that way. As they make the rules, they can make exceptions. Too bad for the students, but Rhyno's off base in supporting their rule breaking. In this day and age particularly, adults should be encouraging kids to abide by the rules. I doubt that they would be restricted from lobbying for changes if they did it the right way.
Aha! I am glad some prick finally went that route. Immoral and unacceptable rules are brought to attention by breaking them. Its the American way, many times over. Thanks for pointing out how the Cons hate America.
I still hold. With the administrators.
"Aha! I am glad some prick finally went that route." Who the hell are you talking about?
"Immoral and unacceptable rules are brought to attention by breaking them." What's so immoral or unacceptable about dress codes in schools? They serve a good purpose.
"Its the American way, many times over." Occasionally lawbreaking has served the public good, but even then, an arrest took place. Then it's hashed out in court, and despite the outcome of the debate, the infraction still is accompanied by punishment of some kind. A point might get made, but the point that breaking the law results in some sentence is also made.
"Thanks for pointing out how the Cons hate America." This one's just stupid.
School is for learning and studying. They can learn about Rosa Parks type lawbreaking and not suffer suspensions for doing so. A far better way to learn about peaceful protest. Assuming that one needn't obey laws because one feels the law is stupid or "immoral" or "unacceptable" is counter to the concept of raising good law abiding citizens. To think it serves kids to break school rules as it moves them leads one to believe that you have no kids. Is this the case? If you do, would you tolerate that in the home? If they don't like your curfew rules, or car driving rules, or chores rules? You'll be understanding when they disobey because they feel your rule is "immoral" or "unacceptable"? Your "fight the power" nonsense removes all boundaries that kids actually NEED in their development as good citizens.
Its simple for people like marshall. He loves America, as long as its the America he wants to see.
He obviously is ignorant of children and how they work, too. Children who never break rules are less successful in life with regards to happiness and quality of life than those who do. Also, children who describe themselves as rebellious go on to higher education and do better than their conforming peers. Thats something the facsist Cons of the world will never be able to process.
I still hold. With the administrators.
And, I happen to agree with Marshall.
My own kids didn't get to where they are by allowing nonsense out of them.
The point is, the school in question here has rules, rules that kids disobey on a far too massive scale. It's time they did something about it.
If 9/11 happens to be the example, then so be it.
The correlation between breaking rules and happiness is tenuous at best and more than likely sheer fantasy. Happiness is a matter of choice. As a rule breaker myself, I was already happy when I broke the rules. I wasn't so thrilled when I was punished, but I was still a happy guy. And I think I understand kids pretty well. They come into the world as incredibly selfish tyrants who are physically unable to impose their wills beyond crying about it. As the begin to walk and talk, they try to enact their decrees and will succeed until Mom and Dad are fed up. Growing more, rules are placed on them and they begin to learn what it takes to get along and how self-centeredness isn't necessarily happiness, but self-indulgence. Most kids want and need rules. Even the rule breakers do. You'll find that many rule breakers aren't of parents who set many rules. But breaking rules, that is laws, isn't something many successful people do to become successful. Not the kind of laws that begin with things like dress codes for kids. I don't think you have kids, Rhyno. Do you?
Marshall said...
They come into the world as incredibly selfish tyrants who are physically unable to impose their wills beyond crying about it.
THANK YOU!!!!! AMEN!!
As much as I love my grandson, his mother and I both realized this the day he was born (as I did my kids when they were born), and at 17 months, he has rules to follow. This so when he gets older, he will have a direction to go by in life, a solid foundation to have a conscience from. And, so his mother and others don't have to put up with too much crap, and so when he gets into school, he will be well-disciplined. This is what's best for kids, to learn hard work and strict discipline. Without it, we'd have a totally insane society -- look at how society has degraded so far since we've had to live without it.
Game, I notice you've been rather quiet through this thread. Do you not have kids, or do you disagree with the right on this one, or ?
You do have right to input here -- you're a teacher who has to put up with today's brat's bullshit, y'know.
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