Anti-Bush shirt gets student sent home

This kind of thing is just a case of fighting the symptoms, not curing the disease. If a free and open society like the USA cannot cope with this kind of expression, it's a sad thing... If people get aroused because of such a simple T-Shirt, something is wrong in the background.
 
Yes, reminds me of this letter in the Denver Rocky Mountain News recently:

It's time for these anti-war protesters to put up or shut up! Before we forget, George W. Bush is the president of the United States. He made his decision. There is nothing that we, as citizens, are going to do to change his mind. He has nothing to prove to this nation. He does not have to display every piece of evidence to the American public because most Americans are incapable of handling the truth!

He was voted into office just like every other president before him. It's time to support him for the decisions he makes for this country whether you like them or not! Only a true American would provide such support. Our families, who are Americans, are deployed to implement Bush's plan.

They are going to be the true heroes of this country and the sooner the job is finished, the sooner they'll be home with their families! It's about time that this country sucks it up and stands for a leader who has the guts and isn't afraid to face a dictator who is capable of destroying you!

John Pfistner Jr.
Aurora
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Don't flame me, but I completly disagree with this person. You can probably tell I am anti-war. :)

PS, how do some of the 'non-U.S.A.-ians' (not 'non-Americans') here feel about this?

Oh, and he wasn't voted in, he got in on a fluke. I can explain it if you want :D
 
While I don't agree with the shirt (I don't agree with Bush, either) it wasn't right for the kid to be sent home. However, it's understandable that the school would make that decision as it is their choice. When you are at school you are under the control of the faculty and you don't have 100% freedom of speech.

Now, let's think about this. If this kid were in Iraq and went to school wearing the same shirt with Saddam's picture he and/or his parents would have probably been either jailed or executed. America certainly is a free country, we are most definately far from perfect but in my opinion we are ahead of most other countries with our citizen's freedoms.

Just out of curiosity, what do you some of you from other countries think would happen of this situation in your own schools? I'm not starting a political debate I'm just curious if it would much different than what happened here.
 
There is nothing that we, as citizens, are going to do to change his mind. He has nothing to prove to this nation. He does not have to display every piece of evidence to the American public because most Americans are incapable of handling the truth!
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WOW! That is SO wrong! I think I can safely state that I believe exactly the opposite... Even when already elected, a president or PM has to justify his actions towards his citizens. Not only to his voters, but also to those that didn't vote for him. Especially when it concerns matters unforseen at the time of the election. Imagine somebody winning an election by making a lot of promises and keeping only a few: he would need to justify his actions or at least explain them. E.g. A candidate mayor promises a new library and then when elected drops the plan. If he gives no reasons (bad economy, natural desasters, other unforseen events, etc.) the voters should make themselves heard. Either by public protest, by forming an interest group, by supporting the opposition, by raising funds etc.
The ultimate power of any democratic nation resides with the people, so their actions should never be underestimated, because even when protesting, this is in the interest and for the good of democracy.

In Italy and in the Netherlands I've partecipated in public protest and constestations both in school and at the university. Nothing 'official' ever happened. We occupied the school building, marched in protest against the government's plans for education, publicly insulted (well, not too vulgarly ... :) ) our PM and ministers etc.

At the last anti-war protests there were very offensive signs (Way beyond "Bush Terrorist"), but the police was very cool. There were also equally obscene messages directed to our own PM (Balkenende), but they were left alone as well... We're quite democrati here in the Netherlands, so there is no need to invade The Hague ... ;)
 
This website verifies one of my last theories:

Intelligence is conversely proportional to provocation.
 
School is not the place for provocation.

Here such T-Shirts would be forbidden too at school (as are military suits and religious signs). School is supposed to be a place where students can freely express and discuss their opinions, but not flame each others.
 
I disagree with themacko but am very interested in hearing the opinions of those from outside the USA. I have to say though that I think only in the USA are t-shirts considered to be a valid form of political expression. Or, am I wrong on this? I find them to be too confrontational and almost always lacking in depth and substance.
 
Just thought i'd let you know:

I LOVE BUSH!

But on the topic: i'm completely with chevy. The school is a place where students should be able to believe what they want without anybody saying otherwise, or in this case: showing otherwise. Heck: if i saw that kid at school i would be offended greatly...i'd probably slit his throat!
 
But shouldn't people be able to express themselves? Living in a democratic nation like the United States comes with a few responsibilities. One of them is surely tolerance. Poeple have different opinions here in the US, and extreme liberals will do things to offend a majority of the population (Just as extreme conservatives will do things to offend the majority of the population).
This kid should have the right to wear any type of shirt, and I don't see how its any different from speaking up in a class discussion aginst president Bush. He didn't pick the best way to express his opinion, and I think the school was right to send him home. But he does have the right to express an opinion, and I don't think someone wearing an anti-(insert person who isnt a prominent american political figure) shirt would have been well ignored.
Another issue I that really gets to me is people just yelling "no war" without knowing anything about current issues. There is quite a large liberal community at my school, and sometimes it just seems like people are anti war just beacuse they think Gore should have won in 2000. Because there is so much press about George Bush (good and bad), people seem to incriminate him more then people who are much more likely to pose real threats (Saddam Hussien, N. Koreas leader).
The thing Im trying to say is if you aren't educated in a subject, don't act like you are! People should not take a position in an argument they don't know anything about! It's common sense.
 
how much education does it take to know that if you throw the 1st punch, you're the agressor? the "he asked for it" excuse doesn't cut it on the school yard nor in war.

"Peace is good for mothers and other living things" - from the 60's :)
 
"Peace is good for mothers and other living things" - from the 60's
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LOL! :p

If I cannot express my personal opinions in public (which includes schools), where can I? It is pretty pointless to be able to express my opinions only in private... I want to provoke, to debate, to hear the other side! I don't want to listen only to myself or people who think ike me, I can only learn from who thinks different!!! :D
 
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