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Rosary beads a gang symbol?
Filed under: Teens, In The News, Day Care & Education, Religion & Spirituality
For those of the Catholic faith, rosary beads are a traditional way to keep track of one's prayers. A sort of spiritual abacus. But according to police in Dallas, Texas, local gang members have taken to wearing the religious jewelry as well. This has led at least one high school to add rosary beads to the "do not wear" list.
The ban on rosaries at Seagoville High School came as a surprise to student Tabitha Ruiz. When she showed up at school last week wearing a silver and ruby rosary given to her by her mother, security guards told her to take it off. When she showed up again on Monday wearing the beads, she was again told to remove them.
"I went to school, walked through the metal detectors and they told me to take it off," Ruiz said. "I asked them why and they said because it's gang-related."
Rosaries are not actually banned in the official dress code of the Dallas Independent School District, but school principals are allowed to make that decision for their schools if they feel it is necessary. Ruiz' mom, Taire Ferguson, does not think it is necessary and vows to take the district to court.
You know, I can see banning bandannas, baggy pants and other items that have no significance other than to denote a gang affiliation. But rosary beads? They have been a part of the Catholic faith for hundreds of years and wearing them should not be the right of gang members only.
The ban on rosaries at Seagoville High School came as a surprise to student Tabitha Ruiz. When she showed up at school last week wearing a silver and ruby rosary given to her by her mother, security guards told her to take it off. When she showed up again on Monday wearing the beads, she was again told to remove them.
"I went to school, walked through the metal detectors and they told me to take it off," Ruiz said. "I asked them why and they said because it's gang-related."
Rosaries are not actually banned in the official dress code of the Dallas Independent School District, but school principals are allowed to make that decision for their schools if they feel it is necessary. Ruiz' mom, Taire Ferguson, does not think it is necessary and vows to take the district to court.
You know, I can see banning bandannas, baggy pants and other items that have no significance other than to denote a gang affiliation. But rosary beads? They have been a part of the Catholic faith for hundreds of years and wearing them should not be the right of gang members only.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
9-17-2008 @ 2:12PM
Jenni said...They also use images of the Holy Mary and other religious symbols. It's very sad, but they do it. I don't know if banning them is the right thing to do, but I don't know what other choice they have.
Reply
9-17-2008 @ 7:43PM
hall monitor said...Unless there is a gang of Catholic students terrorizing the school, we are just gonna have to chalk this up to another case of administration using their authority to create bogus polices.
Hall Monitor
http://detentionslip.org
9-17-2008 @ 2:20PM
Rose said...Maybe things have changed since I was a kid?...I was raised Catholic and we were never allowed to wear rosaries as jewelry at all.
Seems to me the school is doing the best they can without creating any double standards. After all, how can you prove that you're wearing it for non-gang related reasons? You can't, so they're out for everyone.
Reply
9-17-2008 @ 4:18PM
dee said...Same here. Wearing a rosary would have gotten us into deep, deep trouble at any of the Catholic schools I attended.
A quick google shows that this is very culture-specific. Apparently it is considered very disrespectful by Irish Catholics and English Catholics. Since my schools had deep connections with the Mercy nuns, I guess I can see where that came from.
9-17-2008 @ 2:49PM
queenoqueens said...Great, another outraged parent taking the school to court for enforcing and ensuring the safety of students. Let's waste more taxpayer money and adminstration's time.
Yes, it's ridiculous that the gangs can control things this way. But frankly, I don't want to be in the school when gang violence erupts because someone is wearing the "wrong rosary". Do you?
I suppose if limits like this were imposed for adults in public areas, I might take umbrage, but with minors in a school setting? Please....clothing/jewelry is just not that important.
Reply
9-17-2008 @ 3:51PM
isisaquaria said...It may be for her--IDK. I have a symbol of my faith given to me by a family member who has passed....it doesn't come off. I love my husband, my ring doesn't come off.
My daughters both wear dog tags one with daddy's nickname for them and one with brothers birth and passing date--they do not leave the house without them...they wear them to school despite them being against the dress code. We were able to explain the meaning and the school has completely understood. (the twins are to young)
I think any symbol can be utilized by hoodlums--if we give into all the symbols, what do we have left.
Before I get slammed....I do not know the Catholic religion enough to know whether or not these are worn as jewelry, I remember the nuns wearing them in college, but they were not students.
9-17-2008 @ 5:38PM
Charlotte Breen said...Catholics don't wear rosaries. They are carried in a pouch or pocket and are not jewellery. You wear a crucifix on a chain as jewellery, but not rosary beads. So i'd say, yeah, go ahead and ban a fairly obvious attempt to circumvent the curent bans on gang related paraphenalia.
Reply
9-17-2008 @ 10:54PM
isisaquaria said...You would be wrong---according to a friend whose 14yo daughter wears a rosary. Apparently, certain catholic (seemingly those of younger generations) are encouraging the display of the faith -- IDK why or when it began, but several now do wear them.
I am aware this is not the old school way, but it seems that all other things have changed, why not this?
9-17-2008 @ 4:37PM
LS said...Once again, this board is being contradictory. When students are busted for wearing offensive t-shirts or outrageous hair cuts/styles, people are screaming "it's their right!! Freedom of Speech!!" - even when the gang question comes up (I remember a particularly heated discussion over the clipping of eyebrows, which in gang culture denoted a "kill"... the general opinion was "it's their body" or "it's completely harmless").
But here we are, saying suddenly that the school has the right to violate those same rights and freedoms. The difference? A religious symbol.
Frankly, this really ticks me off. We are truly allowing the criminals to win when we curtail our religious freedoms in deference to their demented "values". If this was my kid's school... even though we're not Catholic, he'd be carrying/wearing a rosary in support of that young lady.
Reply
9-17-2008 @ 4:47PM
LS said...It occurs to me, if we keep bowing to these stupid gangs, and these stupid "it's for their safety", the kids are going to have to go to school NAKED.
Which, honestly, will be a boost when it comes to the sex-ed classes.
Reply
9-18-2008 @ 9:19AM
Karen said...My daughter's school doesn't allow them to wear white t-shirts because there is a gang in the area that has adopted white t-shirts as their "thing."
White t-shirts. What?
Reply
9-18-2008 @ 2:41PM
isisaquaria said...Now I have heard it all--plain white t-shirts....OMG the gangs are wearing clothes--all kids must come to school nude (to borrow from an earlier post.)
9-18-2008 @ 10:57AM
Heather said...So one gang is white t-shirts, near me there is one with black, another with red, another with blue, I have seen a bunch of gangster looking kids in yellow or orange. aso does that mean we should ban everything but green?
I have a better idea make them all wear pink.Every school across North America. It is hard to look gangster in pink!
Reply
10-13-2008 @ 5:19PM
Ismat said...Ok...so we ban rosaries. What if these gangs adopt hijab? Do we then ban Hijab? Or how about if these gangs adopt wearing a cross or a crusifix? Do we ban those items too? There is a gang that wears green. There are some KKK groups that wear camoflauge. Gang colors include red, blue, black, white, yellow, gray and a number of other colors. In my area the school uniforms are blue of all colors...a gang color! And yes, if you start banning items...the gangs are certainly not stupid...they will adopt...by changing their "colors." How about tatoos? Let's ban tatoos at school. Any child who has a tatoo is suspended (if we make them come naked all their tatoos will be on display). Some of us have modesty...and coming to school naked would be entirely out of the question...particularly someone who is religious. No matter what we do...someone will end up being offended.
Reply
11-11-2008 @ 7:20PM
debbie said...A rosary is not a necklace. It is very disrespectful to use a rosary as jewelry.
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