My niece sent home from school for NOT wearing a hoodie

Originally posted by Kolya
Isn't there some kind of... I dunno, if not legal than ethical, at least... thing that would if not bar than at least discourage a school (I'm guessing it's a state school, correct me if I'm wrong) from making a political statement based on an ongoing legal case?

Because that's what this is, as of time of writing - The United States (as in the prosecutor - it's "The Crown" in the UK, so I'm again guessing it's the 'nation' in the US) hasn't yet found either party to have been a victim yet, so a Trayvon Day would be entirely a partisan action, would it not?

I'll stress that I'm an outside observer and, moreso, I have no opinion on this case except that which is gained from the *ongoing* (emphasis absolutely required) investigation and later trial on this incident - but surely it doesn't take impartiality to notice the lack of impartiality involved in this decree?

I wouldn't classify it as "partisan" in any way. I know a LOT of republicans that support Martin over Zimmerman and a LOT of democrats that support Zimmerman over Martin, but it is a "political" situation, just not partisan.

Originally posted by Sicul2012
where's the outrage when white children are murdered by Blacks?

To be fair, we had a couple of centuries of lynchings when white children were just looked at by the wrong blacks. The pendulum is just swinging back the other way for now. I heard a local story recently that happened here in my town just about 60 or 70 years ago, where a young black boy made the heinous crime of giving a birthday card to a white, female classmate. His punishment was to have his hands and feet bound, and his father stand by and watch as he was made to jump into the Suwannee river. Of course he drowned and died.

I realize there is an inordinate amount of outrage and press over the Treyvon/Zimmerman thing. The press is to blame for that, no one else. It isn't like Treyvon or Zimmerman went looking to get in the headlines.

The white on black crime is where the pendulum is at for now, and you can blame the press for it, no one else.

reply to post by UltimateSkeptic1


Sue. Discrimination.

2nd line.

Originally posted by habitforming
reply to post by UltimateSkeptic1

 

BULL CRAP!

I do not buy this story for one second.
I find it a little hard to believe every kid in that school, including your niece OWNED a hoody that they could wear or choose not to wear.

I think this story is BS as well....

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by PurpleChiten
I do feel there are issues with the OP's post and don't feel that we are being given the truth concerning it.

Which is why I asked for the name of the school.
I know people don't give out personal info on the internet and righfully so.
so it's a long shot.
I've googled ... came up with nothing in the papers, etc etc ...

ETA .. when I googled I came up with A LOT of schools having official 'Trayvon Martin Hoodie Days'.
So the school very easily could have had one. And there could easily have been a lot of
social pressure to conform. But I dont know if the teacher would have said what he said ...
it's a pretty sick teacher if he did ...

edit on 6/11/2012 by FlyersFan because: (no reason given)

Yes, I agree. I also googled it and saw some questionable events. I have worked with many schools that could be considered ... "questionable" in thier decision making and I can imagine that the story could possibly have some validity to it but would want to see verification that it required participation... not out of the question, I've seen them do some truely messed up stuff in my time.... but still, would want some verification.
I can imagine a principal with little to no backbone sending a student home because he didn't want to face the confrontation that refusal to participate would bring, if that's the case, he shouldn't approve the event to begin with as it opens up the entire school to conflict and there is no need for something like that.
I guess I can see both sides on this one due to working with many different schools. While I usually support the school until shown otherwsie, the OP said it was in the North East and I have seen more questionable practice there than anywhere else in the country. There was a small one just an hour east of Philly that had SERIOUS issues, so I could see it possibly happening. IF it did happen, the school is completely in the wrong on this and should be held accountable.
While I do usually side with the schools, I also know that they are ran by people and the people that run them are not always "competent" to do so.... luckily, those people don't usually stay there for long.

Originally posted by Blarneystoner

Originally posted by habitforming
reply to post by UltimateSkeptic1

 

BULL CRAP!

I do not buy this story for one second.
I find it a little hard to believe every kid in that school, including your niece OWNED a hoody that they could wear or choose not to wear.

I think this story is BS as well....

I don't know, I can't call complete BS on this one.... only due to working with many different schools all over the country. There are some that would really surprise you with their stupidity, but not at all a majority. When people claim things of this nature, it's important to look at all sides. Many of the stories can be quickly dismissed, but I can see something of this nature actually happening based on my past experience with some of the schools.

Originally posted by primus2012
Rhetorical Poll:
How many of you that don't believe this story, also don't believe that GZ acted in self-defense?

Or in other words, how many of you would be wearing your boldest hoodie on such a day if ordered to?

Gotta blow your poll...
I believe the story has a possiblity of being true but am still a bit apprehensive.
I presently believe that Zimmerman acted within the law of "Stand Your Ground" of that state, yet feel he was also extreme in having the handgun as opposed to a taser of some sort. I support him legally but not morally.
I have not and would not wear a hoodie as support for Martin, although I would be supportive of a memorial on his behalf over a life lost even though I believe he may have been the aggressor.

It's a very complicated situation.

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
Why was there a trayvon day in the first place!!

How about all the other people who get killed in America and get no recognition. Why is trayvon any better? Is it because he is black?

Hundreds of black, white, Hispanic, this that color kids get killed all the time. Why not hold a day for them all.

This gets me pissed off. Trayvon was nothing special and the way the media still puts up his fake younger pictures is manipulative !!

I agree with you. It's a very political thing that's going on now. I speak out against racism each and every time I encounter it and sometimes even if I don't encounter it. Racism has a lot of facets and this particular case is showng reverse racism. People are literally supporting Trayvon Martin for no reason other than him being black. If he had been any other race, we never would have heard about it. As a staunch anti-racist, even I can see this.
It's been pushed to the back burner that Zimmerman is hispanic, the media outlets who are harping on it the most don't like to report on that detail and that is showing a clear prejudice in race that is not acceptable.
The media is also very guilty of distorting the story with very old photographs to encite emotion. They are very wrong in doing so.

I do always speak out against racism...of all kinds. This is an example of racism in favor of a race instead of opposed to a race, but it is still blatant racism and is not appropriate in any way, shape or form.

Originally posted by UltimateSkeptic1
Maybe there's a political correctness stupidity pandemic in public schools these days.

A couple months ago the public school that my niece attends had a "Treyvon Martin" day. The students were told to wear hoodies for the assembly.

My niece, who is in 10th grade, and who is an independent thinker, questioned this. She told her home room teacher that she didn't want to wear a hoodie in support of Treyvon Martin. The teacher asked why, and my niece said she felt bad he died, but that maybe he was the one who attacked Zimmerman, and she didn't feel comfortable supporting anybody when she didn't know the facts.

The next day my niece showed up to school dressed nicely, but not wearing the hoodie. She was sent to the principal's office and reprimanded, and told that she either had to wear a hoodie or go home. The principal told her to go to the lost and found and find a hoodie to wear. The principal's reasoning was that it was important that the students show uniformity, and support for a fellow high school student that was gunned down.

My niece went to the lost and found in tears, and called her mom. Her mom called the principle, who told her to come pick her up from school.

Now is where the story gets good....

Her mom went into the principal's office the next day to confront her on what happened. The principal told her that it's important that the students "fall in" and "sometimes you have to learn to comply." Her mom pointed to the school's values posted on the wall and noted that "compliance" wasn't one of the values, and that in fact "diversity" was a value.

The principal replied, "Diversity means the right kind of diversity. Not your daughter's kind of diversity."

I wanted to tell the world about the school and the principal, but it would only make it harder for my niece. She's already targeted over this.

Is this an aberration, or is it normal for schools these days to be run like indoctrination camps? How does this ever get fixed?

My sister-in-law wants to move over this. I don't blame her.

One of those "only in the USA" type of story... I do feel for you... lol

reply to post by ScatterBrain

Me thinks those who stand firm in support of the school system at this point, benefits from the wretched system or refuses to acknowledge facts.. no one else would.

No, no, no...you misunderstood my point. I'm arguing in favor of least amount of hassle.

I don't refuse to acknowledge facts and nowhere did I claim I'm in favor of a school system, BUT(big but), if a school is organizing an event for a KILLED school mate - then it's borderline insane to go against it, never mind socially retarded. Then it's a couple of steps into insane to claim you don't want to participate because you don't have all the facts(politicizing the issue). Hello! We don't have any definite facts about ANYTHING. That doesn't mean you cannot show compassion as a school for a killed school mate.

Bashing people who know what has been going on with petty name-calling and nothing else does not validate your argument princess.

Oh so now you have all the facts to know what's going on? Princess?

In fact, no surprise you would bring up political bashing this is what our education system taught you..

Such nonsense...these people are bringing in their own politics into the issue, I'm merely ridiculing them for it.

you are useless if no one tells you what to think. If someone asks you to make a decision that you have never encountered before, it would ruin your world, your first notion would be to pick up the phone and get someone else to use their brain, cause yours isn't able to process a single complicated task.

Every teacher I've had in anything would disagree with you there. Big time. Funny assumptions though, since you're describing, exactly, the opposite of how I think. I've dealt with stress situations more emotional people can't handle for half a second.

Go ahead darling.. challenge yourself... look up complaints about the school system... or just reply with more of your empty words.

COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM?

That's not what this topic is about. Also, I've got my own complaints about the school system, in fact, about school systems in several countries...which complaints do you want to read?

In Response to post by PurpleChiten

It is good to stand against racism.
It is foolhardy to argue against racial realities.
The balance is in knowing the difference.

Originally posted by KillerQueen
You'll pardon me if I have serious doubts as to the veracity of this story. I suspect that either you or your niece maybe embellishing just a bit.

Is there a school web page or on-line newsletter where at least the "Trayvon Martin Day" can be substantiated by way of a calender of events?

Or is this just another thing you would have us all take your word on like the Rubio for Veep thread?

The skeptic in me thought so too. That was until I conducted a google search. Try it and see for yourself.

google search

Thats just wrong and somebody should get fired for it. A school is a place for learning. Political activism should be left to the students, during breaks and after the school. That a student got sent home, because they did not want to partake in the schools political activism is totally unacceptable.

reply to post by MsAphrodite


I checked several search engines...sickening.

This is tyranny at its purest. What the principle said “about not the right kind of diversity” made me struggle to know whether to laugh or frown.
You’re niece deserves a medal for being both a thinker & an individual, but home schooling isn’t necessarily the answer either, for a start it’s important that kids socialise. This said it’s also important that they learn something useful to getting a job, and that their independence in teenage youth is unduly crushed. So perhaps it is the right time.
Either way, get the TV involved. Publish a local newspaper advert if you have to. Also is what the principle did, not against “freedom of protest” (if that’s still somewhere in the constitution).

reply to post by Luminaught


Here is a different search. Still want to call BS on this ATS?

google search

reply to post by MsAphrodite


Yup.Direct me to a link that shows the op's story is true.Oh wait,that was her job.None of your links suggest anything the op claimed happened.

p.s. we're not stupid we know how to use google