Mississippi School Board Banned Jewish Student From Wearing Star of David

[thongd4me 69]

I hope they also barr anyone from wearing a cross... even under their shirts.... Federally funded schools can not support any one religion over another.

The government is not supporting anything if they want to wear a star, a cross or a crescent or a pic of Homer Simpson.

I had a political science professor from Alabama (teaching in NY State) who was quite liberal and explained

the big flap about prayer in schools in this way:

All the conservative folk down there ran around shouting "they banned praar!"

That was not the intention of the rules that were laid down, which indicated a

discontinuation of the COMPULSORY PRAYER that I experienced in my grammar

school years until they did away with it. Nobody banned prayer, just compulsory prayer.

Any student of any religion can and should be able to pray individually during time away from class

and in fact many schools have provisions for Islamic students to do this if they want to, even designating

special rooms for prayer.

When I was in school it was common for Catholic students to have crosses and Jewish ones to wear

yarmulkas. Nobody felt offended and they were not asked to remove them as they were breaking no law.

As for wearing complete body-covering veils, it's purely a public safety issue, not one of religious freedom.

Many Muslim women wear stylish scarves to honor their religion and nobody should ever worry about that.

The perception of what the laws against the practice of religion in schools mean has gone too far I believe.

Religious groups should be encouraged to co-exist rather than force any one to lose their identity.

[thongd4me 69]

What this is coming to is the enforcement of a "dress code" in American schools.

Schools in Asia have never had a problem with this, but you can bet the ACLU

will have a field day with that one. With a dress code, they can both enforce

one style and ban all others. The boys may not like it but the girls would

probably threaten mass suicide.

Where do you find a compromise here?

[Heracles 417]

As pointed out earlier. Mississippi has 2,938,618 people of which 1,500 are Jewish. So it's only natural it would be confused for a gang with thousands in the same state.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Mississippi has 2,938,618 people ...

Actually, it just went up to 2,938,619.

[Empress of Groovy 373]

As pointed out earlier. Mississippi has 2,938,618 people of which 1,500 are Jewish. So it's only natural it would be confused for a gang with thousands in the same state.

"Only natural" if you have the cultural literacy of a plastic salad fork.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Ah. So this is about the flag wearing. Yes. You are right. Context is important. The context was America. The context included Americans wearing the American flag. The context included students saying it was disrespectful for Americans to wear American flags in America. I read that context and I find it frightening. It is political correctness to the final degree. Even, according to you, the ACLU agrees with me. Are you still trying to make the point that the ACLU in that case is wrong?

Maybe we should learn a lesson from the Cajuns. Those who held them in disdain began to call them "coonasses" in an attempt to belittle them. The Cajuns, in their humorous wisdom, appropriated that term themselves. It holds no power of contempt over them because they wear it proudly. If you want to be offended by someone wearing an American flag, it will offend you. Does that mean I can no longer wear it? I'd like to protect the context here - America, Amerians, American symbol. I'd like to not let people assign it the power to offend. And I'm pretty disgusted that anyone living in America is actually offended by its symbol.

Meanwhile, you glossed over your disdain for Mississippians. Do you know any? Or have you prejudged them?

No, I can see ACLU's point and actually I had said from the beginning that I thought the VP shouldn't have sent the students home but instead start a dialogue between both sides to ease tensions. I am, however, sympathetic to school officials who have to constantly monitor the safety of the students and campus, especially in this day and age where we've seen dozens of incidents of horrific violence, usually brought on by unresolved tension or conflict between students. I am a big supporter of free speech, but as a parent, I also believe that school officials have to make difficult decisions regarding the student body and as long as they are doing so for the sake and safety of the students, they have my support even if I may not always agree with their decisions.

ETA: As for Mississippians...they aren't above the kind of ridicule that has become a tradition here in OT. If I had a dime for every snide remark made about California or the people who live here, I could buy the entire school board, history books. The kind that weren't edited by Right Wing zealots.

Edited May 12, 2010 by El Buscador

[Heracles 417]

"Only natural" if you have the cultural literacy of a plastic salad fork.

Yeah, unfortunately not everyone can be as 'worldly' and 'culturally aware' as some of the Brits on here.

but as a parent, I also believe that school officials have to make difficult decisions regarding the student body and as long as they are doing so for the sake and safety of the students, they have my support even if I may not always agree with their decisions.

Anyone have Steve's phone number? His account has been hijacked.

[Empress of Groovy 373]

Yeah, unfortunately not everyone can be as 'worldly' and 'culturally aware' as some of the Brits on here.

Explain the relevance of that statement to the topic at hand, please.

[Heracles 417]

Explain the relevance of that statement to the topic at hand, please.

Likewise, as you seem to fail to grasp the relevance of 0.05% of the population in the state having Jewish beliefs. Therefore, it's of no surprise that many may not know the star of David there. Yet they would have more knowledge of the star due to its association and use by a notorious gang; something schools are trying to stamp out.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Jews, what are those?

[spookyturtle 9,466]

Anyone who doesn't know what the Star of David is must have been living in a cave, regardless of the percentage of Jewish population.

[Heracles 417]

You guys are missing the point. In a state where 0.05% of the population is Jewish, yet there are a larger number are gang bangers, it's perfectly acceptable to deduce that the person assumed this was a gang symbol.

Edited May 12, 2010 by Booyah!

[spookyturtle 9,466]

You guys are missing the point. In a state where 0.05% of the population is Jewish, yet there are a larger number are gang bangers, it's perfectly acceptable to deduce that the person assumed this was a gang symbol.

Maybe you are missing the point?

[Empress of Groovy 373]

Likewise, as you seem to fail to grasp the relevance of 0.05% of the population in the state having Jewish beliefs. Therefore, it's of no surprise that many may not know the star of David there. Yet they would have more knowledge of the star due to its association and use by a notorious gang; something schools are trying to stamp out.

I see. So, it's culturally elitist to expect school board members--people supposedly interested in the education of young people--to have the common knowledge that a Star of David is Jewish symbol. You don't have to be Jewish to know what it symbolizes. Good grief. I didn't know any Muslims growing up, but I was familiar with the crescent & moon. Like, *gasp* it was taught in school! Public school, no less!

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

... I was familiar with the crescent & moon. Like, *gasp* it was taught in school! Public school, no less!

I see the brainwashing by the agents of the new world order began early.