Louisiana school hits Rastafarian teen with ‘unlimited suspension’ over his dreadlocks

Hasidim predates Rastafarian by centuries but I'm going to guess that Hasidism isn't larger than Rastafarian. While Hasids are very noticeable my understanding is they are a small minority of Jews and Jews themselves only make up 2% of the US population.

Anyway you are basically saying that it is more important for black teen males to look good rather than have religious freedom. That's a personal opinion but one that I don't think the US Constitution would support.

 

Religion and it's inane rules strike again.

DD

 

Explain

Rocket River

 

... Is pouhe Uncle Ruckus?

 

Rocket River

 

inane rules = grow hair long

strikes again = causes problems with school, and distracts student trying to get education


I thought DD put it much better.

 

You understand those "inane rules" you're referring to is this child's religious beliefs correct?

 

The dude could have just said that Jews have more money and own more 5h1t. But hey, when you get a chance to look like a racist _ some people just can't pass that up.

So you're saying a school having a rule that boys can't let their hair grow past their collar isn't silly Some schools make their own inane rules.

Girls have long hair _ does that distract students from getting an education...??? And how does a boy having long hair causes problems...???

Religious racism isn't fun either...

 

I believe he does

Was that not clear?

 

Soooo . . . you are now PRO - Schools forcing kid to cut their hair

Rocket River

 

A much milder uncle ruckus, I can see that.

 

Force is a strong word, one I would use for a religious law.

I was just helping explain DD's post. It seemed to me the clearest post in the thread.

 

I'll say this here, since I race-bait better than most people:

I don't like the idea of honoring your religion becoming a proxy hindrance to social advancement in our nation. Particularly for poor black kids.

I spend enough time talking about how devoutly Christian my own mother was and is, and how she tried her best to bring me into that faith, that I know for a fact that she never would allow for anything to get in the way of my securing an education.

My mother told me once that she thought about having me circumcised when I was born. Took her all of three seconds, she said, to not go through with it. She felt good about that decision, learning that the apostle, Paul, said that circumcision wasn't necessary to be a "Christian".

Religious devotion usually turns into self-inflicted (and self-serving) martyrdom. And as any "Christian" should know, God isn't overly interested ("now", at least) in what type of badge you're wearing for the "cause", or how ready to die or ready to kill somebody you are to prove your "devotion" to him.

Old Testament, meet New Testament.

Separation of "church" and "state" works both ways. Whatever anybody seeks to "believe" in is their own business, to a very large extent. Self-expression is as much a spiritual exercise as it is a civil one, I'd agree.

But we do have to have some uniformity to function as a society. Especially a society as culturally and regionally and ethically diverse as ours. Laws do not often serve justice, and honestly, they can't be expected to. Laws, when applied consistently and fairly (difficult enough to do on its own face), can only maintain a sense of order and consistency that can give all of us some sense of where we can fit into the greater whole of society as harmoniously as we might be inclined to do.

At regular voting intervals, of course. It's open season, in between.

Nobody likes hearing it, and some of us don't like some of us talking about it...but the fact is that this kid in this story is working with disadvantages and obstacles that don't need to be exacerbated by something that amounts to a "fashion statement" or "personal grooming"...neither of which matters in the long run as much as his being able to become a productive adult, with as many options to live his life as he can abide.

Across many faiths, it seems, the outward expression is just as important - maybe even MORE important - than the inner conviction. I'm the last person to determine the validity of that, myself, or the exactly right time to make the distinction. Stand for something or die for nothing...or however that line goes.

As awful as it is, to single out this child for his hairstyle...and let's be honest...most people who have a problem with it think of it in threatening or criminal context (another composite image a black kid doesn't need to accessorize)...

...the real problem is letting a low hurdle like this turn into something it should never have been.

As a black person, I know something about the balancing act we're still managing socially...the "...how long must we wait..." against the "...by any means necessary..." paradigms of our social progression.

The long game, in my opinion, is the game to be played here.

This kid's education is what matters. It is what will inform him...and consequently, the world...of what is most important to us.

 

It's clear but it's wrong....

And Rastafari choose not to cut their hair... It's not a law it's part of their faith. What religion are you...???

 

Religious law

 

I'm giving Pouhe the benefit of the doubt but yeah bringing up Hasidim was a WTF moment.


Anyway to respond to both Pouhe and mdrowe00 while yes black males have many challenges and a big black guy (don't know how big this kid is but for the sake of argument) with dreads could look threatening. This image comes to mind.


And while Richard Sherman is a scary looking black man looming over a white woman we have to remember that he also was a salutatorian of his high school class and (even though it bothers me as a Cal grad) graduated from Stanford. I don't see why in 2014 having dreadlocks doesn't mean that he can't get a good education and be successful anymore than a Sikh in a turban can.

 

Public schools and their inane rules.

This is why private and charter schools are the way to go.

 

Of course you don't see why having dreadlocks shouldn't matter in what kind of person (and in this case, a professional athlete) anybody is.

You are (sadly) uncommonly rational and tolerant. Despite the hyperbole and rhetoric of the past 6 years, in particular, there are probably more than a few people who don't subscribe to judging books by their cover.

That in an of itself involves actually taking the time and effort to bother opening the pages, and then miraculously assuming that that person could read more than a few words before they felt like they've figured the whole thing out.

Your point about Richard Sherman is precisely what I mean...and in my opinion, precisely what people often miss.

Yes, Sherman is intelligent. Articulate. Successful. And a few things more besides (which is fine...I was more than little bit of a loudmouth when I was around Sherman's age, too)...

...and here he is. It isn't at all the point that Sherman "made it" (and in this context, is more of an outlier than the standard).

The point is that he isn't SUPPOSED to be there. So much of what we think we know about people is based solely on our perceptions of them, and not their presentations to us.

The point is that to effect a change in the thinking of the country, you need to go THROUGH the process of being successful (even its messy and incongruous parts--maybe ESPECIALLY through those parts)...

Richard Sherman couldn't have graduated with honors from high school if he hadn't GRADUATED with honors from high school. He couldn't have graduated from Stanford University with such a high GPA if he hadn't GRADUATED from Stanford University.

The process should be where the focus lies, to me. Not the beginning or the ending.

Don't get me wrong, rocketsjudoka. It doesn't bother me in the slightest how Richard Sherman (or anybody else) wears their hair. One of the things you kind of get used to in this skin is being guilty long before you ever prove you're innocent. So you might as well be who you are, because dying isn't optional. Live your life and find some happiness in it. The furthest thing from my mind is trying to satisfy anybody's idea of what kind of man I'm supposed to be or expected to be...especially people contemptible enough to say to my face I'm not smart enough to form my own opinion, because they're used to having that obscene privilege and don't want to let it go.

Not to get too far away from the original topic...the kid with the suspension hanging over him because of his Rastafarianism...

You win this fight by going the distance...and to me, here, that means getting into the classroom. Excelling there gives the people who believe what you look like doesn't matter, or shouldn't matter, the proof they always feel is there...and grind to dust that strain that's had too long a hold on what the hell "success" is supposed to look like.

As I'm sure Richard Sherman could tell you, rocketsjudoka...you can only beat them at their own game if you're playing...

 

if I want to grow dreads I can call myself a rasta and claim religious belief?

how do I know he is devout?

need more facts.

 

There is no major blow to breaking a person's spirit
it is a thousand small blows endured every day.

You can keep cutting all the points off a star until it is just a box
It is no longer a star

This will be just the first in a long list of compromises that widdle him into what someone else wants him to be . . . . .

My problem is . .. chances are there is some other kid with some unnatural hair color sitting in the same class room with nary a word said.

this is the first step toward making this child accept his second class citizenship

Rocket River