School district bans religious symbols resembling weapons

[The Straight Story]

School district bans religious symbols resembling weapons

Plymouth— An incident involving a religious Indian short sword worn by a fourth-grader has prompted the Plymouth-Canton School District to create a policy banning items that resemble weapons.

In a carefully worded letter sent home to parents Thursday, school officials said they value "the right of all students to practice their religion and wear religious symbols," but that any religious emblems that resemble a weapon are now "strictly prohibited."


The issue involving the kirpan, a Sikh religious artifact, arose last week when the fourth-grade student and another student at Bentley Elementary were roughhousing on the playground, said Frank Ruggirello, Plymouth-Canton spokesman.

The second student felt the kirpan and asked what it was. The student who was wearing the 3- to 5-inch item around his neck explained he received it when he was baptized.

School officials examined the item, saw it didn't have any sharp edges and gave it back to the student, said Kenneth Jacobs, deputy superintendent of the distric



From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101217/SCHOOLS/12170357/School-district-bans-religious-symbols-resembling-weapons#ixzz18NyL33V6

[Cassandra]

1. My first thought when reading the title was...

they're picking on the Sikhs, now.

[HopeHoops]

2. I've got a spider medallion on a necklace with a small razor-sharp dagger in the abdomen.

You would never know it was there, but it will draw blood with the slightest touch. I could wear that into a school and not be found out. Hell, I could even get it on a plane just by putting it in the tray with my coins and keys.

[madmom]

3. So are they going to ban the cross, 4 pointy ends? potential danger there!

[rucky]

4. Does this include symbols used to ward off vampires?

[eppur_se_muova]

6. Only if it's "weaponized" silver. nt

[no_hypocrisy]

5. The NRA's gonna have a problem with this . . . .

[deaniac21]

7. Kirpan....no big deal