I’m not sure what side you’re arguing for. Or what your post is referring to…
It was the post before mine concerning the risk of offensive behavior. I cannot see the pros of christianity, and that has lead to much fighting. I was putting up a suggestion of how to deal with people like me, who can not see both sides of an issue. If implimented, I believe it would work towards stopping real life flamewars in the hypothetical utopia that this thread is about. It is just a suggestion.
P.S. There is no need to post my complete quote when quoting. You can simply put …, or <snip> to show you cut out something.
[cranky middle aged guy voice]
The hell it AIN’T! Why else should I pay my taxes?
[still cranky middle aged guy voice because I’m a cranky middle aged guy]
Oh glod, I thought I was posting to the discussion on a Utopia for dopers! How in the heck did I do this? I should really cut down on the crack, as per a recomendation on another thread.
I was unsure of the whole thing…so I pasted the whole thing.
Glad I was not the only one who didn’t have a clue what **Scott_Plaid ** was on about.
Nonsense. A dress code certainly isn’t a religious dictate. Not granting religious group X an exception to a rule isn’t a religious dictate either. If there’s a dress code, everyone has to oblige to it, otherwise we might as well skip the whole dress code, if there are exceptions for groups X, Y and Z, just because they happen to be religious.
It’s kinda like getting a ticket for speeding and then complaining about religious oppression just because you’re following belief X. The two simply aren’t related, everyone gets a ticket when they’re caught speeding and everyone has to adhere to the dress code, irrespective of religion, race, gender, frame of mind, etc.
If you pass laws that require every child to attend school then you’re going to have to make some considerations for their religious beliefs.
Marc
You have to go to school, but you don’t have to go to public schools. If you want to practice belief X, you’re free to do so in your leisure time. Breaking dress codes at public schools isn’t an expression of religion, it’s simply an expression of breaking the rules and trying to get away with it.
That said, there was no dress code at my school, even though a teacher once shouted at one of the pupils, because he was wearing a baseball cap.
Hmm. If kids want to rebel I don’t think that’s how they’ll do it. Of course, I never liked the idea of a dress code to start with.
Precisely! That’s why I don’t think it’s the kids that want to break the dress code, but the parents in the background.
I never liked the idea of a dress code either, but if there is one, I think everyone has to abide by it without the state awarding benefits to special interest groups.
I think this goes right to the problems with this issue.
If the state says there is to be no religious clothing, jewellery etc in schools, then Mangetout is right, it is religious meddling.
However, if the powers that be are stating what is to be worn and stipulate there is to be no exceptions - as is what happens in most real-life situations - they are operating under a “separation of state and religion” model.
Exactly. But this kidn of gets obliterated when certain groups are privileged over others (and frankly, I’m surprised by the lack of first-hand accounts here- enough with the vaguaries, who here has kids in high school or goes there now?). I had a pretty strict uniform at my high school, though it was often a cause for debate (and this wasted, no exaggeration, about 20 minutes of class time a day, not including the assemblies devoted solely to the matter). But, of course, kids were allowed to wear turbans and headscarves if they chose (though crosses had to be kept against the skin, under a shirt).
Piercings (other than single-ear, which are somehow magically okay while anything more is pure evil) were not allowed. But then something interesting happened- white kids were being sent home/forced to remove their nose piercings, while Indian girls were allowed to keep theirs without a word. No one said boo. When asked why noserings were banned, the vice principal went on some rant “unprofessional… blah blah… punkish, stands out in the crowd, etc.” With a little prompting, she managed to equate their wearers with savages, but later mentioned something about Asian culture apologetically. Eventually, this jewelry got sworn into the dress code unofficially, and baby steps were made with other piercings, tattoos. Who is the school board to say what is important to a teen’s culture or religion? I remember them scrutinizing the Wiccan kids and testing their faith, though they wouldn’t dare make a Muslim girl defend her chador.