Why do they have to be this way?
from iam.the Eternal:
[Shannon's rant]
(you must be a member of iam.bmezine.com to access the links above)
I pierce in Lake County. The school district in Lake County is one of only three counties in the state of Florida that do not allow body piercings at school. A few days ago, it claimed a life. Robert pierced a girl's eyebrow recently, and she was suspended from school because of it. When she got home and informed her father, he yelled at and demeaned her for it. Shortly there-after, she went upstairs and shot herself in the head. A young life ended over an eyebrow piercing.
Part of me thinks that this could have had a dramatically better ending if her school hadn't denied her education over a piece of jewelry. Part of me wonders what the father feels like, now. I'm kind of torn up over the issue.
It is things like this that should make schools open their eyes to the issue of suspensions over piercings.
I wonder if my former high school now has policies regarding mods. In the yearbook, there was once a story on students with tattoos, and when I was high school (1992-1997) having a navel piercing was still considered quite "out there" and mods were nowhere near as popular as they are today. It's really hard for me to say what I would do if I was faced with suspension over a piercing now as opposed to 5 years ago. Back then, I wouldn't have done it, period. :scratchchin If the parents of any of my students had a problem with my mods, I would say that my teaching speaks for itself, regardless of my physical appearance.
Comments
The only thing I think I can say about this is that I doubt that that peircing and the suspension that followed were the cause of the suicide. I've known far too many people who've commited suicide, and i've read too many articles. I've got the feeling there's more to her suicide than a piercing and a suspension...
Posted by: Babs | November 11, 2002 07:52 AM
Sometimes it's just the last straw...how awful! I went to school in Seminole County and I can just imagine how tight laced they are now as they had a problem with t-shirts back in the 70's and 80's.
Posted by: Simpy Sara | November 11, 2002 09:04 AM
That is really disturbing.. but that's the way the world works. Just about a week ago, we were playing a show in Nürnberg and wanted to go party afterwards. I was wearing the trademark DrUmBeAsT outfit (shorts) and they wouldn't let me into the club we were shooting for because I am tattooed.. how fucking lame is that?
Posted by: DrUmBeAsT | November 12, 2002 05:19 PM
I think that that is so stupid, to suspend a person for just expressing themselves. I'm glad that I go to a school where we are allowed to express ourselves in any way we want. Poor girl...
Posted by: kate | November 9, 2003 02:17 PM