Another "educator" needs to be educated

[MACKAY]

If it is a protest concerning unequal enforcement of the dress code the next step after this protest is to file a complaint with the school district. At this point I don't see this being a heritage issue.

I have to agree with you bubba ... this is NOT a cultural or heritage issue and one that I would not rally around. We all have to be careful that we do not turn into a Scottish version of the Reverand Al Sharpton.

Brian Mackay

[minimalistix]

I have to agree with you bubba ... this is NOT a cultural or heritage issue and one that I would not rally around. We all have to be careful that we do not turn into a Scottish version of the Reverand Al Sharpton.

Brian Mackay

Got to agree. Sounds like the school needs to follow their own rules. Regardless, kind of dumb to ban kilts but allow women to wear skirts. If this was a private school, that would be another matter being that they can ban whatever they want. However this is a public school, therefore they're should be equal treatment. If women get to wear pants, men should be able to, at the very least, wear a kilt.

[Southern Breeze]

I'll have to agree with Bubba on this one,it's not a heritage issue.

[Alan]

I have to agree, the kids were wearing kilts to spite the system, not to honor their heritage. This is a fight I don't want to get in on. If the students wore the kilt to honor their heritage ,like Mr. Warmack, then I would be all for backing them. It sounds like they read about Mr. Warmack and tried to copy him but with the wrong intent. There are other ways to fight a wrongful dress code than to wear something to spite it.

[michael steinrok]

Woahhhh.. Did you guys read the same article I read. They are kids wearing kilts One or both of them are claiming some scottish heritage. They also said they were comfortable and would wear them again. We should invite them to the forum, as this is a kilted community , yeah? Let's face it we are all protesting a little bit if we're wearing kilts all the time are we not? And discrimination is discrimination no matter how old you are. Yes, I'm telling you how I really feel. I made my first kilt from scratch not knowing what I was doing, but I did it. Come on guys they're kids doing something different, aren't we?

[MACKAY]

Woahhhh.. Did you guys read the same article I read. They are kids wearing kilts One or both of them are claiming some scottish heritage.

The article says that their motivation for wearing kilts was to challenge the dress code, NOT to express their heritage. Their protest position is that if girls can wear trousers, then boys should be able to wear kilts. This argument assumes that the kilt is the same as a dress or skirt, which it in fact is not.

Cultural motivation was not involved, and should not be assumed. The fact that one, or both of them have a Scottish heritage is moot to thier stated protest position.

IMHO, if they had worn the kilt as a statement of cultural expression, I would be behind them as much as I was behind Natan. If they want to change the dress code to allow boys wear skirts and dresses, then fine, but don't turn this into a "it as Scottish thing, you wouldn't understand" crusade.

Brian Mackay

[GlassMan]

I totally agree with my fellow clansman on this one. They did it as a form of political speech not cultural expression. Now, because of their heritage they decided to make their political statement using kilts, but they could have just as easily done it with a sarong.

Personally I support what they are trying to do, but not because it is about kilts. I have always hated how female students get away with murder.

[Rigged]

I've sent an email to the Principal of the school. You can read it on the S.F. Bay Area kilt group, listed in my signature.

A bit of background:

Our Burning Man Rangers have an official list and some of the Rangers got upset at some of the heated discussions that took place on the list. Others were sensitive about some of the topics that came up for discussion (guns, sex, politics, religion, and other nasty stuff like that).

One of the Rangers set up an alternative list for those Rangers who don't mind heated discussions and controversial topics.

I took over the S.F. Bay Area Kilture list for the same reason -- as a place to have kilt-related discussions that might not be welcome anywhere else.

[Mathuna]

On one hand, I can side with the school, to a small degree, because the intent was to be disruptive. I can side with the school a bit more because the article mentioned that part of the boys' day was to be in vocational school. In the States that usally means building trades, carpentry, heating, plumbing etc... If that is the case, safety regulations usally dictate some form of uniform that covers and protects. I would be surprised if they were not required to wear long pants. I do service work on electronics in various factories, and even if I'm not in hazardous areas, I must still wear long pants, long sleeves, steel toe boots and so on.

On the other hand, in all fairness, if girls can wear skirts why can't the boys? When I was in High School, we had blisteringly hot Spring one year. Our dress code was specific about not wearing shorts but all of the girls had short skirts to wear. So one Friday the entire football team showed up in skirts. These were definately skirts, I don't think a single one could be called a kilt. None of the players were punished because if they got in trouble that day, they wouldn't be allowed to play that night.

I'm all for fighting for rights. I'm all for fighting against unfair and unequal treatment. It sounds like these boys had legitimate complaints so I'm glad they did what they did. It also sounds like the school had specific mandates and had to do what they did. The question is, will the school crack down on the other people who break the code or will they continue to turn their backs?

[michael steinrok]

Politics aside they are wearing kilts. I thought schools were the hotbeds of liberal thinking. Except when they don't agree. And Mexican beer is okay but not Irish Ale? Hey I may be wrong but, seldom in doubt.

Slainte