Principal forbids 5th grader to wear Obama shirt to school

[my2sense]

by WIS News 10

“He’s our first black President of the United States,” says fifth-grader Elijah Smith. “It makes me real proud.”

Smith was excited to wear his Barack Obama shirt to school Tuesday, but then had second thoughts.

“That morning he stated that he may not be able to wear the shirt,” says Elijah’s mother Veneica Byrd.

“That’s the principal’s rules,” says Elijah.

Elijah’s mother says she immediately called Principal Liz Compton at Sumter’s High Hills Elementary School.

“I did speak with Mrs. Compton, and she did state that it would not be a good idea for Elijah to wear the shirt,” says Byrd. “I proceeded to ask her why, and she said that she didn’t want to cause any conflict. What she really meant by that in details I’m not sure, but she was very vague with her answer.”

Out of respect, Elijah did not wear the shirt.

http://www.wistv.com/global/story.asp?s=9718857

[Whalestoe]

1. She means, "I don't want to offend the biggots or Republicans"

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Guess President Obama is not the President of South Carolina.

Isn't that where all the fundies were supposed to migrate to form their own state..or something to that effect?

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-02-21-christian-movement_x.htm

Christian movement moving in
By Ron Barnett, USA TODAY

GREENVILLE, S.C. — From his rural home near Lodi, Calif., Cory Burnell keeps close watch over the news from South Carolina, and he likes what he sees.
Turning the state into a promised land for conservative Christians will be easier than he had thought, he says.

Burnell, a 30-year-old financial adviser and founder of Christian Exodus, believes thousands of religious conservatives across the USA agree with him when he says their influence on government is diluted by liberals and Republicans who have failed to do what mainstream Americans elected them to do.

The answer he came up with in late 2003: Move like-minded Christians to one state: South Carolina.

The state was a logical choice. It already is conservative, having played a major role in the rise of the Republican Party since Ronald Reagan. And it's home to 750,000 Southern Baptists and Bob Jones University, a fundamentalist Christian institution.

Burnell's plan is to recruit conservative Christians to move here and tip the scales further right.

Burnell is yet to move to South Carolina himself, he says, because he is busy recruiting. But he says he is working out the logistics for his family to relocate.

<snip>

[Ioo]

20. Let them, for the love of gof GO and leave the rest of us alone... we do not care, GO!!!

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

3. You left out the best part! Dateline: SUMTER, South Carolina

[dem629]

5. Meaning what?

[PBS Poll-435]

10. I am pretty sure that is near where the Civil War started

:shrug:

[dem629]

Ft. Sumter is not near Sumter, SC.

[PBS Poll-435]

19. 87 Miles

[dem629]

21. Actually a little over 100.

But I guess they're practically the same thing....

(edit- typo)

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

12. I was assuming that's where Fort Sumter was. Start of the Civil War and all.

(I am now informed Sumter isn't near Charleston at all, but it's still funny.)

The story is that a child cannot wear a t-shirt of President of the United States.

What could be controversial about that, right? It's the President!

But maybe they're still just not that into the United States of America.

Kind of the ultimate "We have no intention of getting over anything!!!"

[dem629]

16. Nope. And that's in the 6th District. James Clyburn's district.

40.8% White, 57.0% Black

[Sequoia]

23. I'm sure they're still sore over General Sherman too.

[dem629]

24. You're sure? What's your experience with some people in that district?

Thanks in advance.

[Sequoia]

36. Not that district, but basically the whole south, especially Atlanta of course.

I grew up in NC and people were still discussing the Civil War like it happend 10 years ago.

[Harry Monroe]

13. I think he was referring to Ft. Sumter, SC

Which is actually in Charleston Harbor. The first shots of the Civil War were fired there.

[dem629]

17. Yes. I live in Charleston.

And there's no such location as "Ft. Sumter, SC".

[CreekDog]

30. You don't seem to have any opinion on this issue

despite multiple posts.

do you have any opinion, being that you live in the general area?

seem like a reasonable decision to prevent him from wearing the shirt?

[Orsino]

33. For a nonexistent place...

...I think it would prove mighty difficult to pry from the cold-dead fingers of South Carolinians. :7

It is a sad coincidence, though, that the school in question is in the city named after the same Revolutionary War general from which the distant fort takes its name.

[lapfog_1]

4. If, in 2001, a principle had prohibited a Bush Tshirt

on a 5th grader, Fox, CNN, etc would have been all over the school and the principle.

Count on it.

[zulchzulu]

6. The kid should wear a McCain shirt and see what the asshat does

Aw, that's a good boy!

:puke:

[YOY]

7. So someone might be offended by a picture of President Barack Obama?

I see Mrs. Compton. What is offensive about a picture of the President of The United States?

Worried about offending anti-Americans?

[tekisui]

8. Why does Mrs. Compton hate America?

[file83]

14. That kid should wear a "Lincoln" t-shirt, and see if that causes conflict.

If it doesn't, then he should wear a "Bush" t-shirt. If they let him do that, then wear the Obama t-shirt. If they don't like that, I think we could safely proclaim racism.

[file83]

9. WTF??? That makes no sense what-so-ever. He's our PRESIDENT!!! If that causes conflict...

then I say who ever MAKES the conflict should get detention with no cookies!!

[Orsino]

34. Shouldn'n't they, like, have his picture up on the wall?

:banghead:

I suppose that a shirt which appears to gloat over Obama's victory, though, might be considered inflammatory.

[Bobbie Jo]

11. My daughter's school was actually selling Obama shirts

on inauguration day. This, in Southern Indiana no less.

Wow. :shrug:

[JayMusgrove]

22. WOW Now there's a "progressive" school! n/t

[NYC_SKP]

15. One could send the principal an EMAIL...

One caveat, if the school has a policy against clothes with any advertising or any graphics, then the kid broke the rule.

I wouldn't be too harsh, but maybe some emails asking what was behind this story would make the principal re-think this.

Or maybe not.

Here is a page from the school's website with contact info:

http://hhes.sumter2.org/user_profile_view.aspx?id=c7c81e05-bd93-4be9-ad2d-2904baefdfab&type=DA

:patriot:

[Ishoutandscream2]

18. I would like to know if there were any students wearing Bush tee-shirts

when he was president. This is really a non-issue. To be told to not wear a shirt with the president's picture on it is absurd.

[proud2BlibKansan]

25. The superintendent told the kid he could wear the shirt AFTER Obama was sworn in

:wtf:

He referred the mom to the dress code that said kids could not wear a shirt with "offensive" images. So Obama is offensive until he is actually president?!

Insanity.

[BattyDem]

26. "Principal forbids 5th grader to wear PRESIDENT Obama shirt to school"

Will he allow the President's portrait to be in the school?

[jazzjunkysue]

27. That could be a very profitable lawsuit. He's the president!

My lawyer would have already contacted the board of ed.

Ka-ching!

[Tsiyu]

28. So I guess they won't be hanging Obama's pic up

next to those of the other presidents as is traditional in many schools?

Too offensive?

[Doctor_Horrible]

29. sounds like that principal needs to take a refresher course in educational law!

[CreekDog]

31. They should not prevent the kid from wearing the shirt

If they had a school uniform and this wasn't in compliance with it, I could see it, but the arbitrary way this was decided is an affront to a free society.

[dcindian]

32. Why would there be a conflict showing support for the president?

How odd. Maybe this principle is a commie or some kind of terrorist lover?

[Princess Buttercup]

35. My 5th-grade son has an Obama shirt, sort of

It just says "Yes We Can." He's been wearing it to school at least once a week since September. He wore it when I took him with me to early vote, he wore it on election day, and he wore it on inauguration day. Pretty much anyone with half a clue knows that it is an Obama shirt, but it's not enough of an Obama shirt for anyone to tell him not to wear it. (I should say here that we live in Texas, so I figured there was a good chance that a shirt that actually said "Obama" might get me a call from the principal.) My son spent most of 4th grade in the principal's office so I didn't want him to end up back there for his shirt. He did put an Obama button on his backpack and no one ever told him to remove it, and they got to watch the inauguration at school, so it might have been ok.

[CitizenPatriot]

37. What's interesting about this

is that I believe charleston went for Obama. the south is a complex blend of people/districts, and places like Charleston are often unfairly maligned simply because it's in SC.

What in the heck was this teacher thinking? I'd be up in arms if I were that boy's parent.

[appleannie1]

38. Our school district allows no pictures or words of any kind on clothes.

Not even Dora the exploror or the word Nike