Fla. Girl, 12, Called Racist For Wearing Palin T-Shirt

MyFOX Orlando (CHannel 35) ^ | Friday, 17 Oct 2008, 9:45 AM EDT | MyFox Orlando writers

[ransomnote]

VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. -- She's only 12 years old, but Ashleigh Jones is feeling the heat of this election year.

That’s because the seventh grader at New Smyrna Beach Middle School was called a racist by classmates (Video: MyFoxOrlando) for wearing a T-shirt in support of VP candidate Sarah Palin, Orlando FOX affiliate WOFL reported.

Jones is volunteering at the Republican Headquarters in New Smyrna Beach. The Palin t-shirt was a gift from her fellow volunteers.

But when she wore it to school she learned just how tough politics can be.

"Some of the students were calling me racist because I was Caucasian," she said. "I wanted the Caucasian man to win. And I told them that’s not true. It’s my freedom of speech, it’s my opinion."

Jones' parents said they're not mad at the school; they just want everyone -- including their daughter -- to voice their opinions constructively, WOFL reported.

[tutstar]

ping...

[AmericanGirlRising]

I spend summers in NSB, FL. It’s a conservative small town for the most part. Those people will come out BIG this weekend with their own Palin garb to support her. Got some people working on it now.