This is the 21st Century, right?

[SergntMac]

This is the 21 Centrury, right? And we're approaching the back nine too. It's about to turn 2006, and some folks are still so backwater about stuff. Disappoints me even more when it involves educators.

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=200512220756099 90013&ncid=NWS00010000000001

[MM03MOK]

But it's OK to wear your jeans around your hips, dragging on the floor and exposing your love handles or boxers/thong. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[MENINBLK]

I wish I had a kilt...
Then I'd be freezing all over... :lol:

[metroplex]

Sean Connery is a celebrity that frequently wears his kilt and family/clan crest?? to public events.

[Krytin]

I don't see the problem with men wearing kilts or even skirts - in warmer weather they would be preferable to pants or shorts. People need to prioritize their concerns. A young man trying to acknowlege his heritage shouldn't be subjected to the public display of being refused entry to a dance. The principal's behavior caused more of a disturbance then there would have been if the student were simply alowed to attend the dance!

[MM03MOK]

The principal's behavior caused more of a disturbance then there would have been if the student were simply alowed to attend the dance!I absolutely agree! It wouldn't have made headlines if the principal hadn't judged him on his appearance. What if a student of African-American descent wore their dashiki to the dance?

[MarauderMarc]

Where I went to school we had many Polynesians that wore hawaiian style skirts that tied around and that was okay. Same thing here.

I think this is going to stir up alot of commotion and this guy is going to end up getting paid BIG TIME!!!! Bet the principal is regretting this decision.

[rayjay]

Where is the american communist liberation union when you need them???

[SergntMac]

Where is the american communist liberation union when you need them??? Christmas shopping at Wal-Mart?

[Haggis]

I wish I had a kilt...
Then I'd be freezing all over... :lol:
Actually a Kilt is very warm, you would be glad for a little breeze now and then. :sweat:

[Hotrauder]

I believe that Haggis, but I still don't want anyone blowing up my kilt at the Christmas dance; thank you :beer: very much. Dennis

[BruteForce]

In before the lock....

Unless you guys hadn't noticed, political opinion is no longer welcome on this site. Responding to the bait is just as stupid as starting the tangent so keep it zipped up, eh? Thanks for setting in motion the deletion of a interesting & worthwhile thread (apologies to Mac).

[RCSignals]

This is the 21 Centrury, right? And we're approaching the back nine too. It's about to turn 2006, and some folks are still so backwater about stuff. Disappoints me even more when it involves educators.

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=200512220756099 90013&ncid=NWS00010000000001


It is indeed sad when something like this happens. The Principal needs to answer for his discrimination. The boy was wearing a kilt, not a skirt.
There is a big difference.

Scots are often the target of racial slurs and innuendo. Sadly it usually goes unchecked and unchallenged.

While I'm not familliar with the surname 'McClard', I suspect it is an Americanisation of a Scottish name.

[bigslim]

Careful what you say. You are really riding a fine line here guys. First off, if you guys studied African American History like we are forced to study your history maybe you would know more about this outfit. I don't want this to get into a race thing. Let's just cool all comments or close this thread before it gets out of hand.

[RCSignals]

Careful what you say. You are really riding a fine line here guys. First off, if you guys studied African American History like we are forced to study your history maybe you would know more about this outfit. I don't want this to get into a race thing. Let's just cool all comments or close this thread before it gets out of hand.

Slim. I assume that was not directed at my post.
If more people studied history as you state, the boy of the article would not have been chastised for wearing his kilt!
There was even a kilted Regiment that fought for the Union in the civil war. (Until some Numpty made them change to trews)

I see nothing wrong with this outfit \/. I doubt the Principal would have let it pass either though.

http://www.africastyles.com/images/m-casualimage/mce-1031L.jpg

[Leadfoot281]

Anything can offend anyone these days. Why has America gotten so thin skinned about stuff? Seriously, this is rediculous! WTF?!

My Army BDU's offended people. Who actually hates camo? Some do!:confused:

My bumper sticker (First Iraq. Now France!) offends people. What's so offensive about that? It's a joke. Not funny? Lighten up pu$$y!:cry:

My radio stations offend people. I don't play Rush Limbaugh that loud! Compare it to the fool next to you whose stereo is thumping your windows out. Can't complain about that though. You'd be racist!:nono:

My Ted Nugent t-shirt offends people!:P

My Marauder pi$$es off the tree huggers!:shake:

Are we ALL a bunch of pu$$ys? :cry: Whiney children! Complainers! And we do it to ourselves!!!!! "Sensitivity" has softened our F'N BRAINS!

Personally, I wouldn't mess with anyone that wears a kilt. Maybe I'M a pu$$y too.

I'm going to eat a Venison Burger, have a smoke, look at some ethnic lesbian porn, and turn on Bill O'Riley. Later, I'll stuff my wood stove with (gasp!) the remains of a dead tree!

[Haggis]

I believe that Haggis, but I still don't want anyone blowing up my kilt at the Christmas dance; thank you :beer: very much. Dennis
Not even the female Cheerleaders? :lol:

[MERCMAN]

In before the lock....

Unless you guys hadn't noticed, political opinion is no longer welcome on this site. Responding to the bait is just as stupid as starting the tangent so keep it zipped up, eh? Thanks for setting in motion the deletion of a interesting & worthwhile thread (apologies to Mac).

HOO-HAH

big brother is watching you!!!

[Haggis]

HOO-HAH

big brother is watching you!!!
Where??? Who?? When???:poke: :run:

[rayjay]

This country is arguably the most diverse on earth. We should celebrate this fact, not stiffle it. Merry Christmas :santaw:

[MM03MOK]

This country is arguably the most diverse on earth. We should celebrate this fact, not stiffle it. Merry Christmas :santaw:HEAR, HEAR!!!

We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.
Jimmy Carter

[Petrograde]

This country is arguably the most diverse on earth. We should celebrate this fact, not stiffle it. Merry Christmas :santaw:

I agree. I think it is one of our strengths.

[martyo]

Actually a Kilt is very warm, you would be glad for a little breeze now and then. :sweat:

As I understand it, you like getting blown under your kilt no matter what the weather.

[de minimus]

obviously the principal was concerned with not opening the floodgates...if you allow kilts then then next thing you know the cafeteria is selling black pudding, haggis (the food not the mm member),tatties and nips, oatcakes and scotch eggs.

[Hotrauder]

Subject: P.C. in the office
Ayah, of which you speak.

[STLR FN]

Then it would've been allowed and anything different would have raised all kinds of ****.

Now the PC stuff: Sorry to offend but that's the way it is in this world now-a-days. Just calling it as I see it.
I absolutely agree! It wouldn't have made headlines if the principal hadn't judged him on his appearance. What if a student of African-American descent wore their dashiki to the dance?

[fastblackmerc]

Anything can offend anyone these days. Why has America gotten so thin skinned about stuff? Seriously, this is rediculous! WTF?!

My Army BDU's offended people. Who actually hates camo? Some do!:confused:

My bumper sticker (First Iraq. Now France!) offends people. What's so offensive about that? It's a joke. Not funny? Lighten up pu$$y!:cry:

My radio stations offend people. I don't play Rush Limbaugh that loud! Compare it to the fool next to you whose stereo is thumping your windows out. Can't complain about that though. You'd be racist!:nono:

My Ted Nugent t-shirt offends people!:P

My Marauder pi$$es off the tree huggers!:shake:

Are we ALL a bunch of pu$$ys? :cry: Whiney children! Complainers! And we do it to ourselves!!!!! "Sensitivity" has softened our F'N BRAINS!

Personally, I wouldn't mess with anyone that wears a kilt. Maybe I'M a pu$$y too.

I'm going to eat a Venison Burger, have a smoke, look at some ethnic lesbian porn, and turn on Bill O'Riley. Later, I'll stuff my wood stove with (gasp!) the remains of a dead tree!
To quote Robert D. Raiford (see: http://www.thebigshow.com/00crew/raiford.html) of JohnBoy & Billy fame "We've become the United States of the Offended".

[SergntMac]

obviously the principal was concerned with not opening the floodgates...if you allow kilts then then next thing you know the cafeteria is selling black pudding, haggis (the food not the mm member),tatties and nips, oatcakes and scotch eggs.Yeah, the next thing you know, "clown food."

The Principal previously approved the wearing of a Kilt, and IMHO, the Asst Principle exercised very poor judgement. I think that most teens who have reached the age of senior prom, know what a Kilt is, Kilts have become very popular in the media over the last ten years. To think it was going to cause some great disturbance of the peace, is just plain ignorance on behalf of the Asst. Principal.

"The next thing you know" is never the next thing you know, and the next thing you know isn't rationale for trampling someone's rights at the instant.

The sad part about this, is that it's life, and there's no dress rehersal. No one is going to interrupt with "cut...Okay, let's try that again...From the top boys and girls".

[rocknrod]

In before the lock....
Unless you guys hadn't noticed, political opinion is no longer welcome on this site. Responding to the bait is just as stupid as starting the tangent so keep it zipped up, eh? Thanks for setting in motion the deletion of a interesting & worthwhile thread (apologies to Mac).
I also notice thhis was NOT directed at the person who started it.
Wonder why?
Strange?
or one sided ?
Just a question.
and a direct question at that.
What is it?
Thin skined?
Too Honest ?
Too Obvious?

[SergntMac]

I also notice thhis was NOT directed at the person who started it.
Wonder why?
Strange?
or one sided ?
Just a question.
and a direct question at that.
What is it?
Thin skined?
Too Honest ?
Too Obvious? This makes no sense to me, at all.

[RCSignals]

This makes no sense to me, at all.

Me either. Maybe it was supposed to have musical accompaniment

[BruteForce]

I also notice thhis was NOT directed at the person who started it.
Wonder why?
Strange?
or one sided ?
Just a question.
and a direct question at that.
What is it?
Thin skined?
Too Honest ?
Too Obvious?

And how, pray tell, did you discern that? This line:

"Responding to the bait is just as stupid as starting the tangent"

seems to cover both original instigator and subsequent responses. Read for content Rod ol' buddy.

[DEFYANT]

This could have been avoided if they had an established dress code in the public school system.

I hope they do that here. So much crap could be avioded if kids all wore the same standardized clothes.

[MENINBLK]

I don't see what was offensive about my post.
There were more offensive things posted in a BOOBIE post than what I posted.
I think you guys are getting a little TOO sensitive.

If I showed you what an American Indian would be sporting, which is my native nationality,
it would make this kilt and dashiki look like a full dress.

There is NOTHING WRONG with sporting your own cultural clothing,
and there is NOTHING WRONG with wearing the clothing of other cultures.
I find this discussion to be educational and EYE OPENING, and NOT OFFENSIVE at all...

If anyone is offended at all by this post, maybe it is you
that need to start looking at our world with an OPEN MIND.

We are all here and we aren't going anywhere.
We all have ONE EARTH to SHARE and learning about EVERYONE who lives here
will certainly open your mind and hearts to other cultures and beliefs.
No one says you have to agree, or pratice what others do,
but in your lifetime, you should LEARN and RESPECT other cultures and beliefs.
Every culture has reasons for what they do, and what they believe.
Being HUMAN, and having THE GIFT OF UNDERSTANDING,
should not be abused as it is, so much in our world, and it is abused HIGHLY in America.

Forgive me for the preaching, but the holiday season is upon us,
and the last thing we should be doing is pointing fingers and saying
this and that is offensive.
Grow up, and start enjoying each other, the life, the cultures, and the beliefs we all have.

Happy Holidays to all !!!

p.s. If you think your life is rough, I suggest you watch "The March of The Penguins.
You will see what the Penguin has to endure, just to survive.
It will make you think three times about what you put up with and complain about.
This movie has NOTHING to do with culture.

[TripleTransAm]

Now THAT ^ is a post worthy of greatness. Well said.

Hate is a highly aggressive cancer. At first it can be a reassuring crutch to lean on when life's frustrations or circumstances get the best of us. But it continues to grow silently in the background and slowly working its fingers and roots into the very fibers of our beings and then before one can realize it, it's wrapped itself around our souls and begins to constrict and suffocate us like a weed does to a rose bush. Suddenly that crutch becomes the weight that drags us under the water that is life's ongoing struggles, and by then it can be too late to let go. Hate lies and is deceitful, and whatever temporary gain that can be had by embracing hate is eventually taken away by it, and much much more along with it.

We all have our personal reasons to succumb to hate but as with any addiction, when you look in the mirror what you see is most likely not going to be what others see when they look at you, because it will change you without you seeing it.

[MM03MOK]

Very well said, Pete and Steve. Hatred is a learned behavior. We aren't born with hatred, we learn it from those around us. When we're old enough to understand, we can reject it, but unfortunately many of our youth are exposed to it and embrace it, because they know no other way.

http://www.adl.org/issue_education/hateprejudice/print.asp
Very interesting reading.....

[TripleTransAm]

I'm not sure I agree with the assessment of hatred being learned. I can see it in my oldest son that he does not discriminate (not the negative meaning of this term, see dictionary for more details) when it comes to colour or gender, at the age of 4. If he was to grow older without any input from us, would he eventually develop the sense of fear of what is different, visually? Adults tend to hate what they fear or do not understand, or what they perceive to be different ... is this truly learned or some sort of inner programmed animal survival instinct?

Likewise, when it comes to acceptance due to cultural differences, during the summer months there can be any number from 4-15 children playing in front of my house during the afternoon, sometimes more when the kids in the home daycare next door come out to play (all between 1-3 years of age). Some english-speaking, some french-speaking, some bilingual... my son is now beginning to experience french language contact, and I don't see any open antagonism yet but I wonder if eventually the language barriers will bring out some inate nastiness unless we as parents foster an environment of acceptance.

Most traditional religions dictate behaviour meant to overcome man's basic animal instincts and allow us to 'rise' above the common biological organisms on this planet. It's what has set us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom, and it's sad when someone is held in bondage to some sort of base destructive instinct (addiction, hate, egoism, etc.). Sometimes I wonder if this world has become what it is because we've stopped fighting these base instincts, and let the next generation bask in the temptations of these instincts.

[RCSignals]

This could have been avoided if they had an established dress code in the public school system.

I hope they do that here. So much crap could be avioded if kids all wore the same standardized clothes.


It's not about what is worn at school during school hours.
It's about wearing formal cultural dress, in this case a Scottish kilt which is usually accepted, with formal accoutrement's, to be equivalent to a Tuxedo, to a Prom.

[SergntMac]

I don't believe the Asst. Principle was motivated by hate, but I'll suggest fear.

He didn't understand the cultural side of the garb, and because he holds a position of authority at the Prom, he must be the smartest person in the room. After all, he's you don't have that kind of responsibility bestowed upon you by being stupid. The Asst. Principle fell to his ego, if he's the smartest among a room full of his students, and knew enough about Kilts to be frightened of the outcome, he knew no one else would understand and the outcome would be bad. Barring the garb was his way out, because he knows for sure it will cause unrest. After all, he is the smartest, right? I see this in some of my cops quite frequently, some listen and learn, some do not.

Betcha the Principle had a long talk with him later.

With respect to some of the posts here, may be hate, maybe not. But, it is more fear and stupidity.

Maybe we learned something after all...

[Donny Carlson]

Back in the 70's when went to high school the issue of dress codes was biggie, both what was acceptable to wear in class and to school dances and parties. In those days, long hair on male students, facial hair, very tight pants (for both sexes), microskirts, tube tops and lack of bras were all things that were problems. Also, any peace symbols, anti-war slogans, drug references, etc. It was during this time that black history made strides in my school, with kids of african descent wearing traditional clothing and jewlery. None of this stuff went over well with school administrators, and it was a constant battle of what violated the dress poilicy and what did not. The same arguments about free speach, ability to show off culteral and ethnic heritage, etc. etc. The best thing I was ever told was by my HS vice principal, who pointed out that public high school is not a democracy... it's a benevalent dictatorship. The principal has the right to set dress codes standards unless he decides differently or is overridden by the superintendent, who can be overridden by the school board. That's the system, folks, and it's been that way for over 30 years.

That's why I like school districts adopting uniform programs.

But, seriously, I couldn't care less if a kid wants to wear a kilt to the prom. God bless him, go to it.

[RCSignals]

.................t that public high school is not a democracy... it's a benevalent dictatorship. The principal has the right to set dress codes standards unless he decides differently or is overridden by the superintendent, who can be overridden by the school board. That's the system, folks, and it's been that way for over 30 years.

That's why I like school districts adopting uniform programs.

But, seriously, I couldn't care less if a kid wants to wear a kilt to the prom. God bless him, go to it.


Agreed. When I started High School the girls weren't suppoed to wear jeans, for instance. That did not last long however.

In this case, the boy showing up wearing his kilt should not have been a surprise. He appaently discussed/showed it to the vice-Principal (or one of them) before hand.

I agree with Mac, it was more fear, stupidity, and no doubt ignorance on the part of the Asst. Principal.

[MENINBLK]

But, seriously, I couldn't care less if a kid wants to wear a kilt to the prom. God bless him, go to it.

I agree with Danny, but I have only one question
that will probably never get answered.

Was this boy's PARENTS, aware that their son attended his prom, dressed in a kilt?

If his Parents approved of him wearing this garment,
and his school had no pre-disposition on a set dress code for those attending the prom,
then there is no question of whether or not he should have been allowed
to enter the prom.

The Principal was wrong, and the boy and his parents have a case against the shool for _______________ .
( I'll let you fill in the blank)

If it was my son, and he wanted to attend his prom dressed in
Ceremonial American Indian clothing, I know that the Headmaster would not object,
because I am aware of how his school conducts their education,
and how the students of the school would react to seeing him dressed that way.
But in any event, I would have contacted his Headmaster, and expressed my son's wishes,
and obtained the Headmaster's blessing prior to my son appearing on the front steps of the school,
after going through the effort of dressing himself up to represent his cultural beliefs.

After all, if I want my son to be proud of his heritage, and to share it with his classmates,
at least HE and I should have the FULL SUPPORT of his school.

[RCSignals]

I agree with Danny, but I have only one question
that will probably never get answered.

Was this boy's PARENTS, aware that their son attended his prom, dressed in a kilt?

..................

Yes, in the article it states they helped him gather the bits to put it all together.

[RCSignals]

This issue is starting to get a little more attention

http://www.cnn.com/2005/EDUCATION/12/22/student.kilt.ap/index.html

Clan Organisations, Scottish Societies, and others are taking notice.

At least the fellow will have all the extra bits and pieces to his outfit, through efforts by Scottish groups.