Students Asked To Remove Anti-Abortion T-Shirts

[Blue Gardener]

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Two students at Roosevelt High School say their rights were violated when they were asked to remove their T-shirts.

Sisters Brittany and Tamera Chandler said Tuesday was Pro-Life Day, so they wore T-shirts with a picture of an unborn baby and the phrases, "She hears, kicks and feels pain" and "Abortion kills kids."

Anita Micich, principal of Roosevelt, said students became upset about the shirts and a concerned teacher referred the girls to the office. Officials then asked the girls to cover the shirts or remove them, NewsChannel 8 reported.

More...
http://www.theiowachannel.com/education/4428492/detail.html

I am conflicted about this. I think the anti-abortion people are generally obnoxious and irritating, but if we want left-leaning students to be able to wear anti-Bush t-shirts, then shouldn't we allow these girls to wear these shirts? I guess maybe it should be all or nothing. Either no disruptive t-shirts of any kind, or anything goes. Your thoughts?

[sasquatch]

1. Well you couldn't wear a "Big Johnson" shirt when I was kid either

So I guess the little snakehandlers will have to suck it up.

[Lerkfish]

2. Depends.

ON whether the school has a uniform policy against political statements of any kind, and these girls broke that policy.
but, in reading the article, it appears that it was not a policy decision but a reaction to people being upset at the shirts.

If THAT is as it appears, I support their wanting to wear the shirts, as long as other kids can wear opposing sentiment shirts.

[Rambis]

3. One problem....

Those shirts are not political but they are a belief. No politician should be involved in a woman's right over her own body. This is tricky one like the Jewish lawyer who represented the KKK's right to march in Skokie. Everyone went inside so the bums had to one to yell at so they ended up going home without incident. It is all about the reaction. Let them wear em IMHO.

[Lerkfish]

4. you're not really disagreeing with me...so I don't understand why you

term it a "problem".

I for all one way or the other. Let them wear the shirts, and then let ALL such shirts be worn, or deny anyone to wear them and be equal.

I however, must disagree with YOU that abortion is not a political issue. It IS one, whether we want it to be or not.

[Rambis]

5. Problem with the policy

Freedom of speech issues like this and gay marriage really get me going because they are nobody's business certainly not politicians. I am not very articulate especially when I am pissed off.

[rurallib]

7. Kind of reminds me of the Des Moines case during Vietnam

My memory is fuzzy. IIRC a student in DM was sent home for wearing a black armband to protest the Vietnam war @1965. Ended up in the USOC which ruled in the students favor. The student was allowed to wear his armband and pretty much everybody ignored him.
I think the girls (and probably their parents) were trolling for a reaction and publicity and got it. The school would probably be better off to ignore it than to highlight it. If there were grotesque pictures that might raise the issue to a situation of disturbance.
BTW did you hear about the girls who were sent home for wearing buttons saying "I <heart> My Vagina"? Seems they got them at showing of the Vagina Monologue. Not sure where this was.

[Debi]

6. Most schools have vague dress codes

that state 'any item of clothing or accessory that disrupts the learning atmosphere' this gives the administrators the ability to fudge the first amendment a little bit. That's how kids with blue hair or 'W04' buttons are taken to task.

I personally don't have a problem with how it is carried out here in Cedar Falls. Our son wears political t-shirts regularly and has never been asked to remove or change them. He was asked to keep the button-down shirt he had on, over a t-shirt, closed when he would pass the voting booths in the hall so as not to get the school in trouble for campaigning too close to a polling station :P