Posted on 05/14/2006 1:44:10 PM PDT by LouAvul
Holdenville, OK (AP) - A U-S Marine graduates from Holdenville High School, but isn't able to walk across the stage with his fellow graduates.
During last night's ceremony, Michael Lueking stood in the stands in his dress blues uniform. School officials had told Lueking he wouldn't be able to participate in the ceremony if he refused to wear the school's standard royal blue cap and gown.
Lueking finished high school a semester early so he could fulfill his longtime dream of joining the Marines. He graduated from the 13-week Marine boot camp on May 5th, in time to be home for his high school graduation.
Holdenville Superintendent Shellie Gammill says she couldn't bend the policy or else exceptions would have to be made for other students.
This happens quite frequently. Too bad the young Marine sought to have an exception to the rules of his school.
The guy is undoubtedly heading to war, and she can't make an exception in his case????!!!!?!?!?!?!?
This is ridiculously asinine...
He should have graduated with the rest of the class, then put on his dress blues and had pictures taken with his family. They are right about not allowing it--if they did, the most ridiculous and obnoxious garb would have HAD to have been allowed, or someone would have sued.
See my #6. The school would have been opening up a huge can of worms, if they had allowed him to wear something other than the cap and gown.
I understand what she is saying here though. Once she starts making exceptions then everyone will have the right to start asking.
Should just be a school rule that military is the only exception and be done with it.
As a Marine, Pvt Lueking is familiar with the concept of Uniform of the Day. Well the Uniform of the Day in this case was royal blue cap and gown.
Words fail me.
He was graduating from high school, not from a Marine training program. He should follow the rules for appropriate dress for the occasion.
This is a story about a young man whose pride in being a Marine exceeds his pride at having graduated high school, and whose school wisely won't make an exception just for him.
I respect the position of both sides in this case. Sometimes you have to choose between alternatives, and so don't get everything you would have liked. That's life.
EVERY SINGLE YEAR there's this same story. PUT ON THE DAMN CAP AND GOWN.
If he wanted to walk, he should have worn the cap and gown.
Sure. I mean, next year some kid might want to come decked out as a pimp. And in the worldview endorsed by public schools, no distinction can be made between one and the other . . . just alternate life-paths for the graduates to choose.
If indoors I believe the Marine may be uncovered at events, and that would allow a cap and gown. What say you FReeper Marines?
The choice was his to make. He chose to sit on the sideline in order to wear his uniform, I respect him for that.
At first glance, this might seem outrageous. How dare the school require this young Marine to wear a cap and gown like the rest of the students?
But then, if you think about it, this is not a Marine function, and Marines are not required to wear their dress blues to civilian functions.
I can see no reason this youngster could not doff his dress uniform jacket, wear the cap and gown over the rest of his uniform for the ceremony, then put on the jacket after the ceremony was over.
Marines also wear civilian clothing when not on duty. I thin there's just a bit of grandstanding going on here.
I would support "his decision" either way.
I would support him if he chose to wear cap and gown. I support him for chosing to "stand down" from graduation and to "stand tall" as a Marine.
He is evidently more of a Marine than a high school graduate.
betcha when they announced this kids name he got the loudest ovation...
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