Nampa Student Told Never To Wear T-shirt Again - Patriotic T-Shirt has soldier w/gun

kbci ^

[chance33_98]

Nampa Student Told Never To Wear T-shirt Again

By Jim Poston

NAMPA -

Is it patriotism or gun violence? It's the question at the heart of a flap at a Nampa elementary school.

Park Ridge elementary school officials told 11-year-old Ethan Jansen to stop wearing his military themed T-shirt to school.

The T-shirt depicts a monument at the Fort Lewis military base in Washington state. It shows "Iron mike" hoisting a rifle with a star in the background.

School officials say pictures showing gangs or guns are not allowed in school.

But Ethan's parents call the T-shirt an expression of patriotism.

"I feel offended that it somehow equates gun violence with military and patriotism. I think they're two different things and shouldn't be held at the same level," said Ethan's father, Ben Jansen.

Chief education officer Bill Deakins refused an on camera interview and told us the reason he didn't want to comment was because, "I don't trust the media they build up a controversy where there is none."

Deann and Ben Jansen see it differently. "I understand that they have to have their policies but it's patriotism as well right now we're in a time when patriotism is at one of it's strongest points," said Deann Jansen.

The Park Ridge elementary administrator Phil Cano also declined an on camera interview. But released a statement which says, "The district dress code prohibits any clothing that may be construed as being violence related," and adds, "we are proud of this student and in fact we support the patriotic theme of the T-shirt but we need to be consistent in providing a safe learning environment for all."

Ethan feels a special connection to the military. "It meant a lot to me because my dad fought at home from Fort Lewis because he's in the army and my family is real patriotic and my uncle and stuff is in the army too."

[Search4Truth]

Park Ridge Elementary

3313 Park Ridge Drive, Nampa, Id 83686 Voice (208) 465-7117 Fax (208) 465-2722 How to get there

Home of the Falcons

CEOs: Bill Deakins Paula Kellerer Administrator: Phill Cano Secretary: Sandra Bowne

[Grampa Dave]

This school has probably banned any portraits of our founders with guns which enabled us to become a republic.

[niteowl77]

When he was a CAP cadet, my son brought back a patriotic shirt from an encampment at (I believe) Ft. McCoy that featured some G.I. weaponry on it, and he did not get anything more than a few dirty looks (from already-known "liberal" teachers) at his HS. The same shirt, however, netted him at least two obscene verbal bouts in retail parking lots; since we live in an acknowledged 'rat hole, the response seemed to be fairly muted.

[NormsRevenge]

Are school libraries and classrooms still allowed to use history books with pictures of weapons of wars and the carnage done by them?

This latest story here is laughable.. and pathetic that we have sunk this low..

[mountaineer]

This is now considered obscene, offensive and an inappropriate incitement to violence:

[Grampa Dave]

A left winger in charge of a school in Sam Wolf's area tried to ban a mascot with a gun (the Oregon Trail Mascot).

The clymer backed down in about one day after getting blistered by Free Republic and others emailing him.

Maybe Sam can fill you in.

[abnegation]

I'm really surprised about this in Nampa of all places. I live in Pocatello and see kids getting on the school bus here with all kinds of patriotic T-shirts. I'll Freep the bestid in Nampa however and see who else I can get to do the same. He needs REPLACED immediately. New motto for Idaho: NO WANKERS IN OUR SCHOOLS!

[ASOC]

LOL
My son (now in the Marines)wore a Tshirt with the "671 grains of da-plomacy" and a image a Marine sniper to school often....nary a peep from the admin types. Seems the asst Pricipal in charge of student discipline is a reserve US ARMY Special Forces Cpt. Cool school 'eh?

[Action-America]

With our litigious society, think that Ethan Jansen and his parents are going to get rich off of that school district!

[SAMWolf]

Pioneer Pete still has his rifle and hunting knife.

Oregon City Pioneers

[freedumb2003]

>>The clymer<<

OK, I give up. After many months of silent research, I have been unable to find the definition of "Clymer" besides "one who lives in New York." I find this to be a pretty strong indictment, but not to the point it is used here at FR.

A little edumacation please?

[Tanstaafl]

Is one to assume that the Massachusetts state quarter is banned at this school as well? Are knives outlawed in the cafeteria?

[mountaineer]

Sept. 4, 2000 | At a Labor Day event in Naperville, Ill., Monday morning, apparently oblivious of the microphone just inches from his mouth, Gov. George W. Bush made a crude offhand remark about a reporter that those in the campaign of his rival, Vice President Al Gore, hope will take some of the shine off Bush's warm and sunny veneer.

Waving and smiling to the crowds, Bush and his running mate, former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, seemed to be enjoying the generous reception offered by the Republican enclave in the Chicago suburbs.

Then Bush spotted New York Times reporter Adam Clymer, who has been with the paper since 1977, serving as national political correspondent during the 1980 presidential race, as polling editor from 1983 to 1990 and as political editor during the successful presidential campaign of Bush's father in 1988.

"There's Adam Clymer -- major league asshole -- from the New York Times," Bush said.

"Yeah, big time," returned Cheney.
______________________

Therefore, in FR vernacular, a "clymer" is what Bush called him.

[freedumb2003]

Ahhh, it all comes back to me now.

Thanks so much, it all makes sense to me now. Funny how this can't be found in any web search.

:)

[MrsEmmaPeel]

I'm not a fan of censorship but look at it this way: If the district allows this kid to wear this shirt, they'd also have to let kids wear shirts promoting gang violence.

Huh? How on earth can you equate our wonderful (legal) military to an (illegal) gang of criminals? That is simply obscene!

Allow the promotion of the stuff that makes us great. Deny the promotion of the illegal stuff. What's so hard about that?

[Conservateacher]

"Huh? How on earth can you equate our wonderful (legal) military to an (illegal) gang of criminals? That is simply obscene! "

My thoughts, exactly! Well said.

[jps098]

Nampa is in one of the most conservative counties in the country. That said, I live in Nampa and homeschool my kids because of idiots like this.

[Frapster]

You have bought into the liberal argument that it is the guns and the objects that cause violence. That is the only way in which one could possibly see a link between gang violence and soldiers fighting for freedom.

If anything, respect for those who fight for freedom should be encouraged.

I do believe that there are symbols of certain cultures that should and should not be promoted in specific environments. It's not my belief that guns cause violence anymore than a flag promotes patriotism. What I do believe is that in context of those specific environments there are things that should be promoted and things that shouldn't. We should be patriotic and exuberant in the expression of that patriotism. But asking a kid to follow a dress code that has valid reasons for existing is not too much to ask.

[Frapster]

Your argument calls upon the extreme and inane to make a point that's just not there. The more I have thought about this article since I first posted the less torn I become. While the first school official copped out on the issue the second had a reasonable position. Follow the dress code.

[ladylib]

Don't think it hasn't happened already. One dopey principal in a Midwestern middle school painted over the musket of a minuteman in a hallway mural, effectively destroying someone's artwork. He said, "Guns don't belong in school."

Some group gave him the dufus of the year award. I don't imagine it's hanging on his wall anywhere.

There are now American "history" textbooks depicting Revolutionary War soldiers fighting the British with brooms, shaking their fists at them, and tossing stones.

Idiots!