Lauren Thiery
To You Editor, Fused
On Sept. 16, 2008, a student at Dos Palos High School in California was punished for wearing a tie-dye T-shirt with an American flag on it. The shirt was worn for hippie dress-up day during the school’s homecoming week.
The school’s new vice principal saw the student and thought the shirt violated the school’s updated dress code. She then asked the student to remove his shirt and put on another one that said, “DVC: Dress Code Violator.” However, the dress code policy only states that the school district prohibits “shirts/blouses that promote specific races, cultures or ethnicities.”
The school principal then had a meeting with the vice principal, in which they reviewed the dress code. Then they had a meeting with the student and apologized for the mistake and “misinterpretation” of the dress code policy’s intent. However, the following day, students protested by wearing all red, white or blue T-shirts. The local media was also present to document the footage.
This occurrence clearly demonstrates a violation of every citizen’s First Amendment rights. Under the First Amendment, the freedoms of speech and expression are guaranteed, among others. However, the California student’s rights were violated when his school tried to censor his shirt and therefore his freedom of speech and expression.
A member of the local American Legion also said, “It is hard for me to believe that a person in power might not know the laws and freedoms afforded to all citizens.” This quote clearly demonstrates how severely harmful it can be for those in power to deprive others their rights. Any person deprived of their rights can be subject to suffer various consequences, ranging from slight to severe. It is important that citizens know their rights and stand up for them, such as the students who protested the censoring of the T-shirt did.
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