Sweatshirt Sparks School Controversy

[cali]

Hoodie Contains Image Of World Trade Center Towers

POSTED: Tuesday, January 5, 2010
UPDATED: 8:10 am EST January 5, 2010
DEARBORN, Mich. -- About 15 Arab-American students at Edsel Ford High School are in trouble over a sweatshirt they had made over the holiday break.

On the back of the sweatshirt, the number 11 is made to look like the World Trade Center Towers. The school's mascot, a thunderbird, is seen flying toward the number.

Watch: Sweatshirts Sparks Controversy

Under the graphic, a tagline reads, "You can't bring us down."

The students wore the hooded sweatshirts to school Monday. They were immediately sent to the principal's office.

The sweatshirts were confiscated.

“What took place here today was an inappropriate, distasteful act,” said David Mustonen, a spokesman for Dearborn Schools. “(It was) totally inappropriate, totally disrespectful, and they just were not thinking.”

The students told the principal they didn’t mean any harm by having the sweatshirts made.

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http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/22129881/detail.html#

what does that message even mean?

[demosincebirth]

1. Some just don't think.

[sui generis]

2. I dunno - do those Arab-American kids feel a bit like

they're under assault? Perhaps they confused

1. teenage angst about fitting in
2. their own American citizenship
3. the "towers" of their right to feel normal
4. bullyish crap by other students

I think it was probably fairly meaningful, if misguided and VERY adolescent.

And who give a SHIT about "inappropriate" and "distasteful" - THAT'S a real egotistical stretch.

[cali]

3. Schools give a shit about inappropriate.

And they're right.

[sui generis]

5. well but only if they know what the fuck that big word means.

The offended party here? All Americans everywhere? Except of course for the Arab American kids who DARED to claim they were American?

Give me a break, chica.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

7. Disagree, they want conformity and the sweatshirts were more out of the norm than offensive

[gratuitous]

4. "You can't bring us down"

Sounds like a "Remember the Alamo" kind of sentiment to me. No matter what's done to us, we (the mighty Thunderbirds of Edsel Ford High) won't stay down, we'll always come back. Linking it to the 9/11 attacks is a bit strange, but hardly inappropriate. It's not like that crime "belongs" to anyone.

[Winterblues]

6. I agree, it is fine for Republican to fund raise over 9-11 but for school kids

to use it as inspiration is bad....I think the lack of thought process is by Administration and not the kids..