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Student Forced to Remove Gang Symbol From Hair
Filed under: Opinions
According to the FBI, a street gang is "a criminal enterprise having an organizational structure, acting as a continuing criminal conspiracy, which employs violence and any other criminal activity to sustain the enterprise." Like most organizations, gangs generally adopt some sort of visual identifier to differentiate themselves from other organizations. In the corporate world, this is called a logo. In the world of thugs, it's called a gang symbol. I don't know if gangs are so prevalent that they are running out of unique identifiers or if gang members are just not that creative, but it seems that their chosen symbols are becoming more and more benign. Instead of angry skull faces or bleeding hearts, gangs are adopting everyday items and symbols and basically ruining them for non-gang members.Gangs have already claimed rosary beads and scarves, and now, as one middle-schooler in Elizabeth City, New Jersey discovered, they've got stars. River Road Middle School student Jay Cowell was made aware of this fact after having a really cool celestial design shaved into his hair. He meant it to be a symbol for "God and all the stuff he made on the earth." But because the design included a star, which is known to be a gang symbol, he was told to remove it from his hair.
School administrators don't believe that Jay himself is a gang member, but the student handbook states that "displaying, or selling any clothing, jewelry, emblems, badges, symbols, signs, body markings, or other items" is prohibited. Jay's mom, Natasha, believes the school's actions are unfair to her son and that he should be judged as an individual and not by the behavior of others. I see her point, but if stars really are a gang symbol, it is probably in Jay's best interest not to be walking around with one on his head. As proof that the school was trying to protect Jay rather than punish him, Assistant Superintendent Linwood Williams paid for Jay's new haircut with his own money.
I feel bad for Jay. He's clearly a good kid trying to express his individuality. And while I don't blame the school administrators for allowing gangs to take over everyday items and symbols for themselves, I wonder if there isn't something they could do about it. What if, for example, every student wore a star or a scarf or whatever? Would that not rob the symbol of its negative connotation and return it to benignity?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
1-09-2009 @ 8:51AM
LS said..."What if, for example, every student wore a star or a scarf or whatever? Would that not rob the symbol of its negative connotation and return it to benignity?"
Whaaaat???? A non-negative, pro-active, LOGICAL and perhaps very popular solution to an ever-growing problem??
No. We can't do that!!! It makes too much SENSE!!!
Reply
1-09-2009 @ 1:07PM
queenoqueens said...LS, not sure that would work. When it comes to violence, there is no logic. Do you not think it's possible, that if you staged such a "star and scarf pep rally", that someone might become enraged and commit and act of violence?
Reply
1-09-2009 @ 3:22PM
LS said...Yes, I think that's possible. But at some point, somebody has to stand up and say, "enough".
Every time a gang "claims" a symbol, they win. Innocent kids, like the boy in the story, are being made the 'bad guys' and getting into trouble because someone ELSE is controlling the situation. It started as skulls and weirdly shaped pitchforks. Then it moved into baseball caps worn sideways, then backwards, then at all. sorry kids, I don't care if you're on the state championship baseball team, you can't wear your hat because the gang might get mad.
Now you can't wear stars, because somebody, somewhere MIGHT be offended, or take it the wrong way, or maybe commit violence.
But, I highly doubt that, if an entire school - kids, teachers, administration, everyone - showed up wearing stars one day, the local gang is going to open up on them.
WHEN do we start standing up to them, rather than letting them win?
1-09-2009 @ 3:40PM
queenoqueens said...If only there was enough money to put security in the school, then perhaps you could pull something like that off. I guess in my mind, they're in the school to learn...not express their individuality, especially when it poses a risk. I agree with you that it is absolutely obscene that the gangs have that level of power. I would love a brilliant idea that doesn't cost tons of money, or put anyone at risk that would take that power back.
Job #1 is to educate and protect.
Job #2 would be to encourage expression of individuality. Because there certainly won't be any expression of individuality when people are afraid for their lives.
1-09-2009 @ 3:03PM
Kirstie said...There's a gang that uses SCARVES as a 'gang symbol'? REALLY? Is it a gang of old ladies armed with knitting needles?
I should look in to that. Seriously, I have an enormous collection of scarves. I might be kingpin material and not even know it.
Reply
1-10-2009 @ 9:54AM
Sandyone said...Kingpin material...*giggle*