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In an age where presidential hopefuls host public Q&As via MySpace, grassroots "citizen" diaries are making it even easier to keep up with what's happening on the campaign front lines.
The following post turned up on the Edwards website earlier this week:
My family would like our fellow Edwards supporters to know that one of his high school supporters in Texas, my son, has received an IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION FOR WEARING A JOHN EDWARDS T-SHIRT TO SCHOOL, having been told that it is in violation of the new school dress code. Clearly, this violates his protected right to free speech, and is the subject of a federal suit that he anticipates filing within the week, should the situation not be resolved to our satisfaction. We called the campaign to notify, but (understandably) had trouble getting through to anyone who might make the Senator aware of how deeply his supporters feel about his candidacy in Texas.
Image of Esquire magazine cover, August 2007
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Sounds like some parents need to read the stuff their kids bring home from school. Why is this even a news story?
Their school probably required polo shirts or something...I doubt this is really a political thing.
the "right to free speech" doesn't necessarily apply when you're in school. schools have rules about what is and isn't appropriate behavior. wearing an Edwards t-shirt hardly seems offensive, but if the school's dress code does not allow students to wear clothing displaying political slogans, then he was in violation of the dress code. it would be the same if the school said you can't display obscenities on your clothing. if the kid went to school wearing a t-shirt that said "fuck you" and they gave him a suspension, it would be the same thing. school policy forbids it = don't do it or get in trouble.
But would a kid wearing a "W: The President" shirt get into the same kind of trouble? I doubt it.
It sounds a little dubious to me, as there isn't any details given. The poster doesn't say the name of the city, school, or student, they only mention that it's somewhere in Texas. It certainly sounds like it might have happened, since some schools, especially private ones, can be draconian about their dress/uniform codes. But the problem with getting our news from grassroot citizen diaries is that anyone can say anything and it can turn out to be phony. This is kind of the whole problem with the blogosphere in general, everything is heresay, nothing gets verified. I googled this and only turned up discussion of it on other blogs, no news pages at all. On Kos there is a comment by a person: "...I don't know if it's true but it sure could be true in Texas."-TXSharon. That is exactly how urban legends spread, it feels true even though proof is lacking.
Have to agree. If he violated the dress code then he should be suspended if that is the punishment they enforce. This is probably a story of a kid wearing an Edwards t-shirt, when in fact an Edwards shirt with a collar would not have gotten him in trouble. I'm sure we'll see the family trying to sue for millions as the child is obviously scarred for life and will never be able to function on society or trust anyone ever again.
Sometimes stories are more true than facts.
Speaking of that, whatsup with the layout of that magazine cover with Edwards - is he really the sexiest woman alive?
That's just ridiculous. We might as well take government studies out of school then. I see the point of restricting speech to prevent disruptions in school, but this is political speech. We're saying that kids who are required to take a class to instill civic responsibility and encourage them to vote are not allowed to wear shirts endorsing political candidates? I'm pretty sure even this supreme court is going to come down on the side of the student. They don't protect disruptive speech, but they do protect political speech. That's why "bong hits for jesus" lost, there was no clear political message, and appeared to only be for the purpose of disrupting. If it had been "Vote for prop #xxx to legalize pot", it more than likely would have been protected speech.
If all kids in Texas have to abide by the state mandated dress code, why should this kid be any different.
Or isn't there a statewide dress code that says all students have to wear certain color shirts in certain styles with certain color pants, shorts, and skirts? I know a lot of schools and districts have instituded those restrictions on dress, I thought it was a statewide mandate that went into effect this schoolyear.
Before everyone goes off an a high and mighty rant, remember that this isn't about free speech, its about breaking the rules of a dresscode. Sort of like Michael Vick's issue, its not about race and embarrasing a prominent black athlete, its about violating federal law.
allen, you made me laugh!
probably because it's still a little early for me (all those ken burns drinking games will wear a woman down)...
but i took one look at the headline, then a glance at the pic, and i thought, "gee, that really *is* weird! they wouldn't let the kid wear a men's dress shirt to school?"
get some yerba mate, lebwohl. gawd.
I hate to fault Edwards for this since I know he didn't write it, but that magazine headline makes him look like a giant douche.
I think it's the haircut that makes him look like a douche, it's the camera angle that makes him look giant. ;-)
I think it's the army of unseen trial lawyers sucking his ____ that make him look like a douche.
...but i took one look at the headline, then a glance at the pic, and i thought, "gee, that really *is* weird! they wouldn't let the kid wear a men's dress shirt to school?"
Ha Ha. We think on the same wavelength, b. I was wondering, "What kind of hillbilly school district won't let a kid wear a long-sleeve dress shirt with a blue tie & pleated Dockers to class? Maybe it was the cuffs."
Listen to you people! Defending a dress code!
Seriously...How fucking lame.
OK master. You just mind controlled me with your beautiful argument against my opinion. What should I think next?