This is just flat out ridiculous.
Raymond Hosier, a 13 year old student at Oneida Middle School in Schenectady, has been suspended from school twice this month, the latest ban handed down on Monday, for refusing to comply with school dress code policy. On the surface, you wouldn't think it's so bad if he's wearing something socially or morally offensive, but then you look into the heart of the matter and wonder what all the fuss is about.
Hosier wears a rosary and a crucifix around his neck, and the Schenectady school district claims that instead of the religious symbolism they represent, the rosary, to them, is a sign of an affiliation with a street gang.
SAY WHAT?
A rosary is a symbol of the Catholic faith. Most gang members depicted in the movies are usually more blinged out than that, wearing more gold chains than even Mr. T in his heyday. Like, what is the school board thinking here? Hosier told the Albany Times-Union that he's worn the rosary and crucifix from the start of the school year, and now twice in the last month, he's been suspended from school. When was the last time you'd heard of a Catholic street gang, anyway?
Hosier's parents have obtained help from The American Center for Law & Justice, a Christian organization founded by evangelist Pat Robertson (The 700 Club) to settle this dispute. The story is gaining national attention as a result, and Robertson has most likely already made mention of it on his show. The bottom line is, the school district is misreading the entire situation. They claim it's a safety issue. That's total nonsense. Would they say the same thing to kids dressing like characters from popular fiction, say for example, the "Twilight" series of books & movies? Maybe, but it wouldn't garner the same kind of attention.
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