Give teens credit for being able to see beyond thong issue

Wausau Daily Herald ^ | 8/21/03 | Danielle M. Chahdi

[gorush]

I am a 15-year-old sophomore at D.C. Everest Senior High School, and I am writing about the Aug. 13 editorial regarding student dress codes because my mom always told me I am not to complain if I am not willing to take action.

[gorush]

Sorry, I'm speechless. Tomorrow's democrats and lap dancers.

[Chi-townChief]

Sounds like Danielle is pretty popular with the young men!

[FITZ]

The Britney Spears/Cristina Aguilera generation.

[Tax-chick]

"We want to dress like trash ALL the time. If we don't, we're denying our true selves."

Man, I love the public schools ...

[Constitution Day]

Man, that's so five years ago! Maybe in 1994 that was the style, but it never caught a girl's attention.

I see that Miss Chahdi also needs some remedial work in basic math.

[FITZ]

This is a girl who is threatening to drop out if she can't expose her thong underwear while at school. Where on earth are her parents? Just as moronic I'm sure.

[Roberts]

< Seriously, you must think that all teenage boys are the shallowest human beings on earth. Remember, this is a girl saying this. Obviously, if boys were concerned with a girl's thong, that's not all they'd be interested in, so it wouldn't matter what she wore. And in case you didn't catch that, I'm referring to other "womanly" features. A boy who focuses on a girl's thong or exposed stomach instead of studying has no self-control. >

Sadly, Danielle doesn't appear to have a father to teach her that teenage boys indeed can be "the shallowest human beings on earth" and "concerned with a girl's thong and other 'womanly' features". When I was in high school, the "womanly" features on the girls in my classes seemed far more important than English Lit.

It is nice to see that Danielle is smarter than the entire adult population based on her vast experience. She has a fine career ahead of her as a lap dancer.

[TheBattman]

PBG - Preganant Before Graduation.....

[Roberts]

Danielle unwittingly makes a fine argument for school uniforms.

[Dr Warmoose]

...Imposing these new dress codes just discourages students more from the whole school scene...
...that's so five years ago! Maybe in 1994 that was the style...

Well clearly school isn't about education.

[jonsie]

Miss Chahdi should know that her saying, "That grosses me out" is so 10 years ago.

[Lil'freeper]

LIKE, omigaaaawsh. This is, like, so totally wrong? Like, where do I start? Teenagers just want respect and stuff? Like, you know?

[Tax-chick]

They don't bother to teach basic math in school - that's what calculators are for. Addition drill would take time away from their really important lessons ...

They went through this in Tulsa a couple of years ago, and the kids sounded exactly like this ditz - of course, because they're just parrotting what they're taught in the schools:

1. The most important thing in life is to express yourself.

2. The most important things about you are the way you dress and what you own.

3. You express your individuality by dressing the same as everyone else, and buying the same things as everyone else.

4. Rinse, repeat.

(Even funnier was the girl at the hoity-toity "academic" charter school, who announced that students became pregnant because the school system wasn't conscientiously using birth control. I think the superintendent had some explaining to do!)

[Marie]

You are so right. I have a friend with three boys. The two oldest are grown and the youngest is 15. Last year his grades dropped from straight A's to C's and D's. She set up a meeting with the teschers to find out why. All the teachers were in agreement. "Mrs. Smith, your son has discovered breasts." Yes, she also went through this with her two oldest. Every one of them hit highschool and their grades went down and the phone calls went up.

I do support dress codes, but I really don't know how I would've managed highschool without my black trenchcoat, striped hair and safety pin earrings!

[witnesstothefall]

Ok, you can't learn when you're dressed like that. Now go change or you're grounded.

[FlyVet]

Danielle unwittingly makes a fine argument for school uniforms.

Which would solve a lot of discipline problems. But, they're not at school to learn, they're there to "express themselves".

[ItsBacon]

I don't even know where to start. She's been coddled all her life, so it seems, and the instant someone tells her, "no," her head explodes. Not all of my generation are like this, and I'd like to think that enough aren't, so that when we hit the real world, things don't get worse than they are. This girl's in for a rude awakening, though, and hopefully she'll be the better for it.

[gorush]

Good luck and thanks for providing hope. I really admire a person who thinks as cleary as you appear to at such a young age.

[Centurion2000]

God, are these people in for a rude shock of reality or what ??

[Marie]

Why don't you just trust me??

[FITZ]

it totally seems like the provocative dressing is catching the eyes of adults more then students, the ones you are so concerned about. That just grosses me out.

No father and where on earth is her mother that this little girl believes that she should be exposing herself to older men just so she can feel grossed out. If you don't want them to stare at certain body parts --- cover them. She actually sounds a little upset that the boys in her class have become so used to seeing bare rear ends, they're not much reacting to hers.

[FITZ]

Not all of my generation are like this, and I'd like to think that enough aren't, so that when we hit the real world, things don't get worse than they are.

That's very true ---- and bimbos like this one usually have mothers who are just as much bimbos. My daughter was starting high school and I suggested we wait to buy clothes so she could see what other girls were wearing ---so she'd know what was "in" --- she actually turned and disgustedly told me "Do you think I really care what the other girls would be wearing?". There are at least a few independent minded types in this generation.

[Lil'freeper]

We are a lot smarter then you might like to think

Perhaps in another era when teens were given adult responsibilites and expected to handle the consequences... but not in this day and age.

[FourPeas]

Give teens credit for being able to see beyond thong issue

That's my concern: teens (and anyone else) seeing beyond the thong.

[nhoward14]

It's stories like this that remind me why it is so dang hard to find a woman my age that is single and not messed up in the head.

I might as well just get a dog. If they decide to run away, they won't take half my stuff and my house with them.

[Bon mots]

Miss Chahdi should know that her saying, "That grosses me out" is so 10 years ago.

Yeah, like 1987!
;-)

[ItsBacon]

she actually turned and disgustedly told me "Do you think I really care what the other girls would be wearing?"

You've raised your daughter well.

[dsc]

"Miss Chahdi should know that her saying, "That grosses me out" is so 10 years ago."

I remember it from the 60s.

She's a great argument for a "Just shut up and do it" policy.

[Bon mots]

Actually, I think thongs are great! On your wife or daughter.

[Servant of the Nine]

If there is a dress code against having your underwear show outside your clothes, simply don't wear any.

So9

[ChadsDad]

Like I said on another thread...

Concordia Christian School

[gorush]

""Mrs. Smith, your son has discovered breasts."

Yes, but they're so...well...you know...

[Publius6961]

We are a lot smarter then you might like to think and, if somebody is wearing a provocative or revealing piece of clothing, it won't distract the majority of focused, open-minded students trying doing their best in school.

If my daughter wrote crap like this, I would congratulate her on her command of her language and despair at the utter vacuousness of her ideas.

I am particularly impressed by the classic phrase "we are a lot smarter than you think".
Sneaky, clever clueless and amoral is a more apt description.

[Woahhs]

I really don't know how I would've managed highschool without my black trenchcoat, striped hair and safety pin earrings!

Spendy shoes, Cosmo, and a semi-automatic handgun?

[Age of Reason]

Where on earth are her parents?

And what would you expect her parents to do, smack the brat and then land in jail?

[ChadsDad]

Why were there no thongs when I was in High School...damn.

[Diddle E. Squat]

The solution to much of this year's horridly tacky fashion trends is to constantly remind these stupid women/girls that those super low-cut pants/shorts actually make them look FATTER than they are.

One would think they'd occassionally look in the mirror and note how low-cuts overemphasize belly rolls and spare tires, sometimes creating that appearance when it actually doesn't even exist on the gal.

OTOH, it is a good way to quickly weed out dumb, sleazy, and/or hopelessly faddish/insecure women before one wastes any of his time on them.

[cajun-jack]

any athletic team, whether baseball, basketball or football or even the "chess" or debate team could easily be whipped 100 to zip if a couple of the girls or cheerleaders for the opposing team just got close enough to whisper in the head jocks ears........"i never wear panties at a game.......not ever!!!! there would be no contest!!!!!

she doesn't think teenage boys are the shallowest creatures on earth? from the tidbits i remember from my youth, hell yes they are.....anyone that can derive ultimate fulfilment from a black and white sears catalog lingerie section, DOES NOT have a lot of depth, but does have an over abundance of hormones!!!!

[Diddle E. Squat]

I hate to break this to you, but having attended two different conservative religious universities, I can vouch that some of the wildest kids came from private religious high schools, in no small number.

[L.N. Smithee]

Seriously, you must think that all teenage boys are the shallowest human beings on earth.

I used to be one, sweetie. I know of what I speak.

YOU, on the other hand, have NEVER been an adult.

[Age of Reason]

Why were there no thongs when I was in High School...damn.

Maybe because the inmates weren't running the asylum back then.

[Age of Reason]

Seriously, you must think that all teenage boys are the shallowest human beings on earth.

I hope so!

[FITZ]

I would expect her parents not to buy her things like thongs and at 15, she shouldn't even be dating and trying to be the school sexpot. The parent(s) is/are the fault of this --- chances are she has a single mom also showing her thong underwear to lure any man in sight. I'm sure her mom is more impressed by her daughter's popularity with the boys than anything else.

[M. Thatcher]

Talk about a "skull full of mush." What an embarrassing public demonstration of idiocy, illogic, immaturity, illiteracy, and ignorance.

[L.N. Smithee]

FITZ: Where on earth are her parents?

Age of Reason: And what would you expect her parents to do, smack the brat and then land in jail?

Hey, Mr. Reasonable -- cool your jets, and ask yourself: "Is that a reasonable response to that statement?

Prove that your nick is not just a name.

[FITZ]

she doesn't think teenage boys are the shallowest creatures on earth?

She obviously does think they are or she wouldn't have to be showing them her thong. Just like Monica "trapped" that other shallowest creature on earth --- she showed him her thong. This bimbo certainly isn't trying to impress the boys with her brains.

[gorush]

I have e-mailed the paper, inviting them to pass this link on to the author. I hope she takes your response to heart, but I am not overly optomistc.

[SkyPilot]

You also referred to boys with exposed boxer shorts. Man, that's so five years ago!

Lets see...hmmmm...2003 - 1998 = 5!

Well, at least she do basic math.

[Age of Reason]

Examine the list of Types of Child Abuse below:

"Emotional/ Psychological Abuse

"Emotional or psychological abuse refers to the significant impairment of a child's social, emotional, cognitive and intellectual development, and/or disturbances of the child's behaviour. This may result from behaviours such as persistent hostility, ignoring, blaming, discriminating or blatant rejection of the child.

"Some examples that could be classified as abuse are:

"* telling the child that he or she is useless or worthless

"* rejecting the child physically and emotionally

"* verbally abusing and threatening the child"

"Neglect

"Neglect is the deliberate denial of a child's basic needs.

"Some examples that would be classified as abuse are:

"* failure to give the child adequate food

"* failure to provide the child shelter or clothing

"* denying the child proper medical care and supervision

"* forcing the child to do things not appropriate for his or her age"

Now tell me, if you catch your daughter dressing inappropriately (according to your definition), what are you allowed to do about it?

If the school itself instead of expelling, permits your daughter to attend classes dressed in a way you disapprove, then society officially thinks your daughter is doing nothing wrong.

Under such circumstances, which method of discipline have you available that could not be twisted to fit the above list of child abuses?

For example, if you send your daughter to bed without supper, you could be guilty of "failure to give the child adequate food."

Or another example: Were you to make your daughter sleep in the chicken coop OR deny her a clothing allowance until she stops wearing what YOU deem inappropriate clothing, you could be judged guilty of "failure to provide the child shelter or clothing."

So, when you tell your daughter she is not allowed to wear something, yet she persists in wearing it--what does society allow you to do about it?

[Tax-chick]

What an embarrassing public demonstration of idiocy, illogic, immaturity, illiteracy, and ignorance.

Oooh, the quality adjectives, the alliteration ... it makes my heart beat faster! (Or maybe it's the Diet Coke.) :-)