Anti-Bush T-Shirt Banned at Michigan School With High Concentration of Arab-Americans

The Associated Press ^ | Published: Feb 19, 2003

[Cinnamon Girl]

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - School officials ordered a 16-year-old student to either take off a T-shirt emblazoned with the words "International Terrorist" and a picture of President Bush or go home, saying they worried it would inflame passions at the school where a majority of students are Arab-American.

The student, Bretton Barber, chose to go home. He said he wore the shirt Monday to express his anti-war position and for a class assignment in which he wrote a compare-contrast essay on Bush and Iraq President Saddam Hussein.

Schools spokesman Dave Mustonen said students have the right to freedom of expression, but educators are sensitive to tensions caused by the conflict with Iraq.

"It was felt that emotions are running very high," Mustonen said.

Dearborn is the center of an Arab-American community of about 300,000 in southeastern Michigan. About 55 percent of the district's 17,600 students are Arab-American.

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On the Net:

Dearborn Public Schools, http://www.dearbornschools.org/

American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, http://www.adc.org/

[Cinnamon Girl]

Is it standard procedure for the AP to include contact info for the American-Arab anti discrimination committee and the public school at the end of an article?

[My Favorite Headache]

More kiss ass pandering bias...via AP.

[Glenn]

So the kid was hitting on an Arab chick.

[TSgt]

"Arab-American" Here we go again. You are an Arab or you are an American. You can't be both.

Soon we'll have Male-Caucasian-Brown Haired-Blue Eyed-German-Cherokee-American That's me ;)

[twyn1]

I'm surprised they didn't make him "Student of the Month"

[RobbyS]

That being said, the only reason for the T-shirt being banned is if there ws a clearly perceived threat to peace. If it did provoke trouble with other students, then I would tell him not to wear it again.

[Fixit]

In a public school I'd more expect a student to get kicked out for wearing one of these.

[HairOfTheDog]

So they weren't afraid the anti-Bush t-shirt would offend patriotic Americans, they were afraid it would encourage the Muslim kids.

This is nothing but cowardice. The fear the Muslim kids so much that they fear the kids will just "go off" at any minute. But they will never admit it, and they will continue to have committee meetings on how to never upset them.

The right decision "take the shirt off" for the wrong reasons.

[showme_the_Glory]

The student, Bretton Barber, chose to go home. He said he wore the shirt Monday to express his anti-war position and for a class assignment in which he wrote a compare-contrast essay on Bush and Iraq President Saddam Hussein.



..........I bet Mom and Dad are sure proud!

[HairOfTheDog]

This is nothing but cowardice. The fear the Muslim kids so much that they fear the kids will just "go off" at any minute. But they will never admit it, and they will continue to have committee meetings on how to never upset them.

To continue my thought.... this is classic abused wife syndrome. They have been beaten already.

[cake_crumb]

Dearborn again. Why is this not surprising??

[Catspaw]

Yeah, I'm just shocked.

[cake_crumb]

"American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, http://www.adc.org/"

Agreed...Arabs need to stop discriminating against Americans. <G>

[cake_crumb]

"Is it standard procedure for the AP to include contact info for the American-Arab anti discrimination committee and the public school at the end of an article?"

Not that I've ever heard of. Just another example of 'unbiased' journalism...like the 'unbiased' journalists who refused to wear a ribbon or flag pin after 9/11...and are still greasing the gears of the Clinton propaganda machine today.

Still, it was nice of the author : we should send emails commending the school district for it's wisdon in preventing discrimination of anyone, even of American Americans.

[hapy]

this could have been handle much better than telling him to take of his shirt or go home

They should wear anti-muslim t-shirts with concentration camps on them...

[FreeTally]

for a class assignment in which he wrote a compare-contrast essay on Bush and Iraq President Saddam Hussein.

I'm sure that would be an informative read./sarcasm

[cake_crumb]

"Soon we'll have Male-Caucasian-Brown Haired-Blue Eyed-German-Cherokee-American That's me ;)"

That's a LOTTA hyphens. I'm not even going to TRY to say that 5 times fast...

Great way to lampoon PoliticallyIncorrectoPhobic HYPER-hyphenization though!

[jwalburg]

Another reason to require school uniforms.

[Dont Mention the War]

Is it standard procedure for the AP to include contact info for the American-Arab anti discrimination committee and the public school at the end of an article?

It is standard procedure for them to include a couple of related URLs. You are right, however, to question why they chose to list the AAADC when it's mentioned nowhere in the article.

[DUH]

ok ... the new bumper sticker reads

MY KID BEAT UP YOUR ANTI-WAR PROTESTOR