Posted on 06/04/2013 11:44:25 AM PDT by rickmichaels
An Alabama teenager was denied her high school diploma and fined $1,000 for wearing a feather on her graduation cap to celebrate her Native American heritage.
Escambia Academy High School in Atmore, Ala., makes its students and staff sign a pre-graduation contract agreeing not to wear "extraneous items during graduation exercises unless approved by the administration."
Chelsey Ramer, 17, tried in vain to get approval to attach an eagle's feather to her graduation cap as a symbol of her Native culture.
"They told me that if I wore it that they would pull me off the field," Ramer, a member of the Poarch Creek Band, told NBC affiliate Local 15.
But Ramer wore it anyway and refused to sign the dress-code contract.
The school wouldn't give Ramer her diploma. She now has to fork over $1,000 to get it.
The teen, however, regrets nothing.
"It was worth it. It means a lot to me," Ramer said.
Well, yeah. Muslims, Amish, Jewish men in those caps, members of religious orders, I could keep going get to wear their stuff. What the heck is wrong with an eagle feather? Maybe it's an environment crazy thing. Surely they couldn't object to her being proud of her native American heritage.
It's a private school.
>> Ala., makes its students and staff sign a pre-graduation contract agreeing not to wear “extraneous items during graduation exercises unless approved by the administration.” <<
.
How can arbitrary, and thuggish fiat actions like this be lawful?
We are not supposed to be a regimented society, and personal touches should be encouraged, not punished.
.
Guilty of what?
Free American spirit?
That’s the fauxnees
I’d be inclined to take this to court.
From what I've been able to gather, this is a private school, and the prohibition of a graduating student's wearing unapproved apparel and/or accoutrements is spelled out in the school's handbook. Also specified there is the warning that one's diploma may be withheld until disciplinary action has been imposed.
Arbitrary rules are meant to be broken.
“I MUST wear an eagle feather to prove that I am distant and separate from the citizenry of the United States of America that provided me the free education we are celebrating.”
Not to mention all the wonders created by Western civilization such as air conditioning, health care, the WHEEL, written language and a million other things.
The school wanted to have a serious ceremony without stupid ethnic pride displays or other nonsense. If you let the indian wear her feather what about the Italian kid wants to put a plate of meatballs and spaghett on his mortar board? Why can’t these insecure attention ho’s just follow the rules.
I have to go to graduation evey year. It is a race to the bottom for poor behavior by students and parents.
She knew the rules but the “please look at me!” Attitude of our modern culture couldn’t be denied. She willingly paid the price though now she seems to be ready to place the race card. Unless someone else got to wear something extra and she didn’t, case dismissed.
Agreed. She fulfilled her “contract” of graduating, if there is such a contract. In any case, she earned the degree under other rules. The school should sue to get the $1,000 but I don’t think they can keep her degree.
Yeh, or celebrate our European heritage by wearing a swastika. :-)
“Arbitrary rules are meant to be broken.”
Just because you disagree with it doesnt make it arbitrary.
Swastikas aren’t even Euro. Dolphie stole them from the Buddhists!
. How can arbitrary, and thuggish fiat actions like this be lawful?
No, not "Ala. makes it students . . .," but, rather the Escambia Academy High School in Atmore, Alabama -- a private school -- does so.
I might myself not think too much of such a policy, or, at least, the way it is enforced, but the action is neither "arbitrary" -- the prohibition is spelled out in the school's handbook -- nor, to my mind, "thuggish." No one is forced to attend this particular private school in Alabama, even if they are forced to attend school.
The school has its own standards, explains them to its students (whose parents pay for the privilege of their children attending), and imposes penalties for specified violations of those standards. So far as that goes, I don't have a problem with it, myself.
If the rule weren’t arbitrary, there would be an obvious benefit to it.
There is none, but undesirable regimentation.
If you wish to be controlled, that is your perogative, but stay away from the rights of the rest of us.
Seriously?
I’d “deport” her to her own small little mind that is focused on her self-perceived pathetic existence that makes her a “victim” living in the greatest nation that has ever existed.
And some people make rules they have no authority to enforce, or selectively enforce the ones they do.
I'm looking at you, Baraq Ubamugabe.
"Do not be misled . . . by an old collectivist trick which goes like this: there is no absolute freedom anyway, since you are not free to murder; society limits your freedom when it does not permit you to kill; therefore, society holds the right to limit your freedom in any manner it sees fit; therefore, drop the delusion of freedom—freedom is whatever society decides it is.
It is not society, nor any social right, that forbids you to kill—but the inalienable individual right of another man to live. This is not a “compromise” between two rights—but a line of division that preserves both rights untouched. The division is not derived from an edict of society—but from your own inalienable individual right. The definition of this limit is not set arbitrarily by society—but is implicit in the definition of your own right.
Within the sphere of your own rights, your freedom is absolute."
That last line is worth rembering.
A graduation ceremony is intended to honor a group of people who’ve all gone through a required curriculum successfully, not to be a platform for displays of individual ethnic or other characteristics.
Every occasion doen’t have to be open to every display of personal expression the invidual participants might ‘feel’ like induling in. The girl can wear her feather during her personal time for the rest of her life if she so chooses. This was not an occasion for her to draw individual attention to herself.
If everyone wants to add something then where do you draw the line? It was a selfish move on the student's part meant to call attention to herself and set herself apart from her classmates. You don't want to wear what they tell you wear? Then don't go.
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