Do you think a kid should be able to wear a shirt saying "Bush Is a Terrorist's Best Friend"

[Guaranteed]

in school?


I'm referencing the Obama shirt that kid got suspended over, of course. But I could swear that we've seen cases like this on DU in the past with folks speaking out against ChimpCo and there's usually quite a bit of support for free speech rights there.


Speaking of "disruption"- is disruption determined by how many people agree with you? You got a shirt more people agree than disagree with so there's no hullabaloo and it's not disruptive. That's alright, then?

Or maybe it's a matter of degree, but not quality- a really, really nasty but purely political statement isn't allowed, but a tamer, similarly purely political statement is?


What's the deal here?

[rucky]

1. What's in the handbook?

the school should set the rules upfront, and as long as they're clear and consistent, I don't see the problem.

[uppityperson]

3. I second that opinion. Many don't read the rules, or know there are any, until something like this

happens.

[SmokingJacket]

2. I think it's a matter of what the established dress code says.

I do think a school should be able to have some control over what kids wear -- they are still kids, after all. And if they want to ban shirts with political opinions, just as they ban gang colors to avoid fights, I think that's reasonable.

But of course banning a shirt that criticizes one but not the other side of the political spectrum is wrong.

[mitchum]

4. Only if it includes a photo of bush holding hands with a major sponsor of terrorism

otherwise
I would give the kid an "incomplete"

[devilgrrl]

6. You mean a picture like this?

[mitchum]

15. Cue the romantic music

thanks!

[RoccoR5955]

5. Schools should make up uniforms...

...that when all the kids are lined up, they spell "Bush is a terrorist's best friend!"

As long as there's no dress code, a kid should be able to wear whatever. If there is no dress code, than one should be established with clear and concise guidelines, or uniforms.

[blondie58]

7. what I found amazing was that in another report that I read on this-

was that the students were supposed to wear something patriotic.

Eleven-year-old Daxx Dalton wore the crudely handwritten shirt the day Aurora Frontier K-8 students were urged to wear red, white and blue to express their patriotism. School officials gave him a choice, he said, “switching the shirt, or wearing it inside out, or getting suspended.”


That is something that he probably got from his father. Much as racism is "learned" behavior from your parents, so is such extreme political views. I wonder if Daxx goes out with his father when he goes on anti-abortion rallies?

[ColbertWatcher]

11. True. What he learned from his father is to choose the option ...

... that makes you look like a victim most.

Pathetic.

[Raster]

16. "Eleven-year old Daxx Dalton..."

10-to-1 daddy of Daxx is a devout dittohead and idolizes Flush Limpballs, dropped out of highschool at 16 and blames "those fuckin' forners" for all of 'Murica's problems.

[Beregond2]

8. Schools should certainly have the right to restrict anything

that might lead to a disruption of the learning environment, as this certainly would.

[Fuzz]

9. Kids shouldn't be used as billboards to express their parent's political opinions,

especially in school.

[dysfunctional press]

10. not if it violates the dress code.

personally, i think that all schools should have required uniforms for students.

[nebenaube]

24. yeah...

just like the Hitler's youth did!!!

[dysfunctional press]

26. yeah, only nazi's have school uniforms...

:eyes:

[crim son]

12. I think it depends on the school's rules.

If there is nothing that says the kid should not, then let him/her, and let the other kids exercise their right to free speech by making the shirt an object of derision.

I'm being flippant, of course. I think that in this case the t-shirt has a slanderous message, a disruptive message and a false message. Should he be able to wear it? My kids wore their "Like a Rock, But Dumber" anti-Bush shirts to school with no outcry... maybe just a comment here and there. I'm not sure the kid in question should suffer any worse consequence than the conversation provoked by his/her idiocy.

[tandot]

13. In that case, it would be the truth. However, I still think that they shouldn't allow it.

Kids can express "their" political opinion after school all they want.

[Olney Blue]

14. Where can I buy one?

[Mojambo]

17. I think a kid should be allowed to wear a shirt that says "Bush is a terrorist. Period" n/t

[dflprincess]

19. Yeah, but a kid wearing a "Bush is a terrorist" or "Bush is a terrorist's best friend"

is different - because it's true. :evilgrin:

[alcuno]

18. "Disruption" is in the eye of the administration

As I tell my students, the reason that we have a category for clothing "disruption" is so that we can ban anything we want. I'm a liberal democrat and it's a great rule. Right up there with my personal favorite of classroom rules, "Follow all directions of the teacher. However, red, white and blue day? Yuck. Sounds horrible.

[SoCalDem]

20. Nope.. Kids should be KIDS.. not little political activists

Schools usually have rules anyway..Our schools have had NO LOGOs (of any kind)..no shirts with writing on them anywhere..

I prefer uniforms, but my kids are grown, so I have no axe to grind here..

[kestrel91316]

21. Better to wear a plain t-shirt and be thought a fool than wear one with

RW crap on it and remove all doubt.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

22. Negative messages are disruptive

and all negative messages like this should be banned. If the lad wished to wear a simple "McCain for President" tee shirt that would be fine. I wouldn't want another child wearing a shirt dissing McCain, either, btw. Either shirt is simply asking for trouble.

[G_j]

23. yes n/t

[R. P. McMurphy]

25. What about a t-shirt that says "Bong Hits 4 Jesus?"

If that isn't protected speech then why should a t-shirt that is slanderous to Barack Obama be allowed?