As a student representative on my high school’s Code of Conduct committee I had the unique opportunity to effectively make changes within my school by way of policy change. Of course, as a teenage girl, my biggest gripe was always with the dress code. I don’t really see why flip flops are a health hazard or why we can’t wear baseball caps because of gang affiliation. (I assure you that there are no gangs, in the conventional sense, where I am from. It would be entirely safe to wear any colored cap and not worry about someone thinking you are from a gang. I’m not even sure that it is common knowledge which colors belong to which gangs.) Usually the meetings occur and very little is changed. However, the day of last year’s Code of Conduct committee meeting rumors swelled throughout the high school about how a certain group of kids were going to come into school the next day with guns and shoot up the place. (For the record, the rumor was false, I’m still not exactly sure how it started but it was definitely false.)
Of course, after hearing the threat of an attack, everyone panicked and soon enough the local media surrounded the school and exacerbated the situation. The certain group that was said to be planning the attack followed a certain band called the Insane Clown Posse (or ICP) and typically wore black clothing and ICP related gear. At the Code of Conduct meeting we discussed what had happened and the Superintendent and Principal assured the committee members that there was really nothing to worry about and that it was just a rumor.
As a student I feel that a school should be somewhat of a sanctuary, a place where all students can feel safe and also a place that you can freely express yourself. That is, within reason. The Code of Conduct had already put into effect a few guidelines about appropriate clothing, particularly banned were politically incorrect and violently offensive apparel. At the meeting I brought up that since “gang-ware” is banned we should consider disallowing ICP related gear. I wasn’t trying to target the so-called ICP Kids. I wasn’t trying to take away their freedom of expression. I knew that if people were to wear ICP gear that others would taunt and tease them and create a potential unsafe environment.
Because of that experience I can understand why censorship in schools is a prevalent issue. However, that does not mean that everyone should have to wear a uniform. Really, censorship, if it must occur, should be taken on a case by case basis. Different areas would obviously have different sensitivities. In my area it just so happens to be with ICP. It’s not the band and their music that causes the sensitivity it is how the band just happened to be related to the situation.
Censorship shouldn’t be as much about parents being upset with what is being taught but about actual safety. I believe in our education system but I also believe that there is room for improvement. If a specific area does have a problem with gangs then maybe uniforms would be beneficial. To arbitrarily censor makes no sense whatsoever, but to say that censorship would cause rebellion is the same as saying as if everything being free and open would lead to rebellion. Some concession must be made be either side. In regard to appropriate attire in the school setting, it is conceivable that some “civil liberties” may be given up in order to protect the safety of students. Protecting for physical safety is entirely different than protecting against, say, literature other materials censored in schools.
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