Over the past several days, even more than usual, a lot of causes has come into my inbox, mostly about fighting discrimination, promoting tolerance, and both opposites are fighting for support of one or the other.
So in this first issue of Perspective I’m going to offer a very unpopular perspective on this battle between tolerance and discrimination of gay, lesbian, religion, race, age, sex, political, stupid people… well, you get the idea.
Perspective: Tolerance & Discrimination
This morning I received an email from a 16 year old student from Celina High School in Ohio, asking for my signature on a petition “demanding that my school promote a more welcoming environment, including allowing students to create a Gay-Straight Alliance.”
The grudge was simply stated,
Recently, 20 students tried to fight homophobia by wearing homemade t-shirts to school that said things like “Straight but Supportive” and “I Support [Rainbow].” Our Vice Principal told students that they had to stop wearing the shirts or face suspension.
Right now there is a big stink about it in the mainstream media and they’re all trying to tie it to the recent presidential election in some way, so here, like it or not, is my perspective.
Now here is my problem…
First, lazy journalism is at fault for much of the stink. Sites like USA Today and others, as they usually do, don’t actually do research.
They ask a few questions and leave everything that couldn’t be unanswered as “unconfirmed” and just kinda leave people wondering. This in fact could have been resolved in five minutes if someone decided to dig deeper and report on the issue in a fair and impartial manner (which is about as long as it took me to find and download the student handbook), but first…
And this is really the heart of the issue, the blatant assumption that the vice principal telling the students to stop wearing the t-shirts was somehow bigotry or discrimination, because it’s not.
Was It Really Tolerance Put Down By Discrimination?
In this case? No it wasn’t. First off, discrimination is a hard thing to prove by any standard. You have to prove intent in many of those cases, but in this case? I don’t think it is.
Listen folks, like it or not, there is something in our society called rules and regulations. You have to consider these first before you jump to any conclusion. Ask yourself, what are the requirements or qualifications to live in a community? Let’s say for example a housing subsidiary with a home owner’s association.
There are rules, regulations and guidelines that tell you what’s not allowed and what is that we all follow within reason.
As yourself, what are the requirements or qualifications for your job. Isn’t there a code of conduct and dress code and a manner in which you are to present yourself?
It’s like that everywhere. Local laws, state laws, national laws, and the more specific you get, the more restrictive it is, for example, the laws and guidelines of a business, and yes, a school.
Just because you’re told “no” doesn’t mean it’s a personal attack or that you’re being discriminated. Maybe, just maybe it’s as simple as you broke the rules of the code of conduct of your student handbook and received a warning.
You really have to ask yourself, “Was it discrimination? Or did I simply break the rules?” Think about it. Is it discrimination if you break the law and get busted?
My Argument: Tolerance and Discrimination
I went and researched Celina High School in Ohio and it took about ten minutes to search through their website and check out their links, but I found it – the student handbook (.doc).
In the section for “dress and grooming” it says.
8. No clothing with foul language or obscene language/images, tobacco, alcohol, drug-related logos, sexual, vulgar and/or violent innuendoes
Note to CHS Ohio… there is no ‘e’ at the end of the word innuendos. #justsaying
I’m sorry to the students affected, however, your own guidelines prohibit you from wearing those shirts of a sexual nature and your vice principal was well within those guidelines to warn you.
I know, the principal said it was “political” in nature, but the handbook (your handbook), also says
School officials reserve the right to make recommendation the day it is noticed for changes in the dress, hair, and grooming of any student who violates the following.
Any form of dress or grooming that attracts undue attention or violates the previous statement is unacceptable. School officials reserve the right to make recommendation the day it is noticed for changes in the dress, hair, and grooming of any student who violates the following (referring to the 13 items of dress code in your handbook)
Note to CHS Ohio… Come on people. Grammar is important. “Make recommendation the day?” Surely you mean make a recommendation on the day, right?
The student handbook also address disruptive clothing that can distract from learning and I also agree that a stand for tolerance and against discrimination is something that can really distract others.
Here’s the bottom line. There is a time and a place for everything and a right way and a wrong way to do things.
Remember those “it’s time for another good idea – bad idea” Animaniacs cartoon skits? Here’s another.
Having a Gay-Straight Alliance to promote tolerance and fight discrimination? Great idea! I’d sign my name to that any day. I’m all for it.
Just showing up in school with wearing homemade tie-dyed t-shirts without permission and without checking to see if you’re breaking the school guidelines? Bad idea.
Like the other clubs at school who have their own t-shirts and such, have you considered going through the appropriate channels and I don’t know… ask for permission to do that? Or, as the handbook allows, ask the vice principal to consider changing the policy? A national campaign to force your school with a demand to change their policy is probably not the right approach.
Things like these can actually backfire – let’s say for example in retaliation they decided to enforce the rules even more strictly and they revoke the rights of other clubs, and you’d be “that kid” that ruined a good thing for many.
Just pointing out a possible backlash scenario for your consideration.
Could the school be more flexible? I’m sure they can, but you have to approach these things wisely. I would also recommend that like many other people. Learn that the word no isn’t always about you. You’re one of thousands of students in that school and community.
Just as with most everything, tolerance and discrimination is a matter of perspective, but weighed against something like policy, it’s not often out of control as people see it, but usually just blown up by the media.
I took the time to do the research and sought out the facts and put it into perspective of a much larger scope and that usually diffuses a lot of problems.
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