Rhode Island School Bans Toy Soldier Cap

[Suburban chick farmer 09]

A rule's a rule. If you start making exceptions to a rule it can open a whole new can of worms.

 

[speckledhen]

Didn't we just have a thread simliar to this locked down by the admins not too long ago? I love this type of discussion here, and if it continues, let's just use a little a common sense ourselves. hmm

I don't recall that thread so I don't know why it was closed. It really depends on the way the thread goes, if it's just too much of a hot topic, etc. If this one gets out of hand, it will be closed as well, of course.

A rule's a rule. If you start making exceptions to a rule it can open a whole new can of worms.

Depends on the rule. Maybe the rule should be reworded/reworked to include more detail and allow for a rational decision. That's what I mean about thinking with some common sense. To expell a first grader because he drew a picture of a gun in school is idiotic. Watch out for paper cuts! Rilly.

I'm so glad my kids didn't grow up in this time period.​

 

[Laurajean]

I'm kind of mixed on this myself. I think over zealous rules are silly, but it is after all a school. Kids are sent there for an education, not for displaying political messages, etc. A toy soldier of course seems harmless enough, but then where do you draw the line? If Timmy can wear a soldier with a gun on his hat, then why can't Billy wear the t-shirt with the murderer shooting people on it? I think you kind of have to make it across the board for it to be a rule.

There's a certain "group" that cannot be mentioned here on BYC. Now plenty of people could have perfectly wonderful and helpful things to say about said group, but because others can't handle it or get bent out of shape, it's become a rule across the board that no posts will discuss this topic, period. I'm sure the mods took some of them down that they thought were really not bad, but because other posts on the same topic were removed, these must go too. It's called rules.

I remember as a high school student getting dragged in to the Vise Principals' office on more than one occasion for wearing "offensive concert t-shirts". The big offense at that time was heavy metal t-shirts that had profanity or "satanic images" on them, which by faculty standards, included almost all heavy metal t-shirts. I remember rolling my eyes and complaining to my friends and thinking it was stupid, but I also accepted it as a rule. I started choosing what to wear to school more carefully and wearing my concert t-shirts on the weekend. Big deal.

Perhaps some of the offense here is because the hat-toy was a soldier. I'll be if it was Charles Manson with a gun no one would think it was ridiculous to make him remove it. Or less people at least. Forget it's a soldier and just think of a kid walking around with ANY gun toting guy on his head. It's stupid. Kids weren't even allowed to wear hats in school at all when I went, never mind with gun carrying figures on them. It's just a rule. He's there to learn, period. He can tote gun soldiers around on his head at home.

Just my opinion and I mean it with all due respect to varying opinions.

 

[Bluemoon420]

I'm from Rhode Island. I grew up in the military. My father was in Vietnam for a very long time, longer than most were. When I was in second grade, our teacher Mrs. Fera asked we draw a picture. I drew a picture of a battlefield with tanks, soldiers, guns, etc. It was very detailed. I am a GIRL. I remember her keeping that picture, and putting it on display in the school. I wasn't reprimanded, or sent to counselors. I wasn't viewed any differently, and I sure as heck wasn't sent to the doctors because I drew pictures of tanks, guns, battlefields, etc. because I was girl, and girl shouldn't draw those types of pictures. I know for a fact my family would have told them to go fly a kite if they had. ( That's a family friendly version.

)

I am glad Centracchio presented him with a medal. I am also glad he vocally took exception to the schools policy. I understand the schools position too. It's ridiculous, but I understand it. In my opinion, some folks have become too sensitive, or too politically correct at times. It really irks me. Sometimes, I swear, people forget how this country was founded ( and even how RI became a State.), why we came her, how we got here. I don't like what I see today sometimes, and I'll be the first person to remind them whether they want to hear it or not.

I guess I'm trying to say, I was like that little boy. I understand where he was coming from. I'm glad someone recognized that, and did something about it.


Bluemoon

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:

Couldn't have said it any better. I probably would have made the Politically Correct crowd really angry though.

 

[Miltonchix]

AND NOW BEING PATRIOTIC IS "MAKING A POLITICAL STATEMENT??!!"

What this country needs, now more than ever then is a lot more "political statements" from PATRIOTS!!

 

[FarmerJamie]

Quote:
Laurajean, I would venture to guess that you do not have children in the public school system. Political messages from one side of the spectrum are constantly bombarding the children, being passed off as "well-rounded education". My third grader was asked to write a letter to the president in support of environ polices, although not specfically mentioned, the topic was "Cap and Trade". I don't think so.

 

[speckledhen]

If Timmy can wear a soldier with a gun on his hat, then why can't Billy wear the t-shirt with the murderer shooting people on it? I think you kind of have to make it across the board for it to be a rule.

Equating a soldier with a murderer is a highly distasteful to me, the wife of a retired Air Force Msgt. It's hardly the same thing.

Surely, you didn't mean that the way it sounded.​

 

[Bunnylady]

The child made this cap as a school project. He was representing his version of patriotism. This wasn't something he did on his own, or to try to bend rules. I'm sure his parents have read the handbook, and thought that the rule against toy weapons meant depictions of the weapons themselves (cap guns, rubber knives, that sort of thing) not 3/4" long slivers of plastic in the hand of a 2" tall toy soldier. I agree with the author of the article, the situation was absurd. If the school ban includes toy soldiers, it should specifically say so.

I imagine that the other kids in the class made hats that were red, white and blue, with stripes and/or stars. Those efforts were probably lauded and applauded. We are all aware, are we not, that wearing the flag or anything that appears to be the flag is considered disrespectful of it? How can one be patriotic and disrespectful of one of our nations most revered symbols at the same time?

 

[redhen]

I also think that all these rules are a joke...
BUT..i do sort of understand where they started from....
We all have heard about school shootings and such....
But i believe in this case they are going overboard..