Reply #16: I'm against them and always have been

[Nobody]

I went to a school and had to wear a school uniform. I hated it and found small ways to get around the rules.

I was never a fashion conscious kid. I liked comfortable and durable clothing without accessories and frills. Some teens are like me and some are not. People vary widely.

During your teen years, you should have as many options open to you as is feasible. You've got all the time afterward to conform.

So Teen A is wearing what everyone else wears. So?

Teen B wears only jeans and sweatshirts. Big deal.

Teen C is a clothes horse. That's nice.

Teen D can't afford to wear the latest fashions. This is where the concept of mix and match and know what colors you look best in come in handy. And most kids if they want to make your life hell will never lack a reason to, so economic status is unimportant in the long run.

Teen E wants to show lots of skin. I do see a problem here, and general guidelines will come in handy. The same kind of general guidelines that state that you should take a bath or shower more than once a month whether you need it or not. And if you make Teen E wear a uniform, Teen E will find a way within the rules to make that uniform more revealing. Anyone who has been to a Catholic school knows all about taping up dress hems to create a miniskirt.

Here's what school uniforms will not do.

School uniforms will not make people like you.

School uniforms will not make shallow people less shallow.

School uniforms will not cause the misfits to fit in.

School uniforms will not make you better looking.

School uniforms will not make all thoughts of violence and vengeance disappear.

School uniforms will not stop bullets unless they're made of Kevlar.