What Goes Around Comes Around

Some of you might remember Cam's brush with boobies ... so to speak ...

If you don't feel like clicking the link and reading yet another dreadful post, I'll give you the Reader's Digest Condensed version (Are any of you even old enough to remember when Reader's Digest did their Condensed Books? I might have lost you on that joke ...)

When Cam was in middle school, these bracelets became all of the rage.

Girls in Cam's school were allowed to wear them in support of breast cancer awareness because they were girls and obviously the only reason girls would wear these bracelets was for the good of the cause.

Boy's in Cam's school? Well, they certainly couldn't be supporting breast cancer awareness, so their wearing of these bracelet was considered "sexual harassment" and any male student who was caught wearing one would have it confiscated and would receive in-school suspension.

At the time, I thought it was ridiculous to have such a double standard, but really? I had bigger fights to fight.

Apparently, some parents didn't ...

Two students who were suspended for defying the prohibition challenged it in court through their parents as a violation of their First Amendment free-speech rights. The students are Brianna Hawk and Kayla Martinez, who are now in high school.

In a major decision on the free-speech rights of students, a full federal appeals court ruled Monday that schools may not prohibit popular "I ♥ Boobies" breast-cancer awareness bracelets because they are not plainly lewd and they comment on a social issue without disrupting school.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, in Philadelphia, ruled 9-5 to uphold an injunction blocking the Easton Area School District in Pennsylvania from barring the bracelets, which are sponsored by the Keep a Breast Foundation in Carlsbad, Calif.

That's right! If what you say is not plainly lewd and it comments on a social issue without disrupting school, you can do it!

I'm thinking testicular cancer awareness should be next.

I better find a manufacturer for my I ♥ Balls bracelets.

I ♥ Boobies

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Have you seen these bracelets? They are sold by a California based not-for-profit agency called the Keep-A-Breast Foundation. The Foundation's mission (from their website):

... to help eradicate breast cancer by exposing young people to methods of prevention, early detection and support. Through art events, educational programs and fundraising efforts, we seek to increase breast cancer awareness among young people so they are better equipped to make choices and develop habits that will benefit their long-term health and well-being.

Well, they've raised awareness all right. These bracelets are a hot commodity for the middle school crowd. In fact, my son purchased one at the mall Monday night. No, I didn't buy it for him - in fact I wasn't even there - he purchased it during a visit to the mall with a friend and her parents. That said, I don't have a problem with him wearing it ... except ...

I saw that he had it on yesterday morning on the way to school. There are a few things I know. One of the things I know is that it doesn't matter how many kids are wearing these bracelets, Cam will be called out for it.

I asked Cam if he thought it was a good idea to wear the bracelet. He, in true Cam form, gave me every excuse reason he should be able to wear it, including that it was for breast cancer awareness and that all of the other kids are wearing them. I explained that it was his choice, but that if he got sent to the office I didn't want to hear any whining about it. He knew the risks. He needed to deal with the consequences.

Well, as fate would have it I had to pick him up early from school yesterday for a psychologist appointment. When I went to the office to sign him out, the secretary came up to me and gave me Cam's I ♥ Boobies bracelet, letting me know that Mr. W (the principal) had asked that she return it to me.

Apparently, this is an issue in many schools. There is currently a news story out of Silverdale Washington where a principal of a secondary school has "banned" these bracelets saying, "... the "boobies" reference causes problems in classrooms when some students made inappropriate gestures ... some staff members who are breast cancer survivors find the bracelets offensive."

Ahhh ... here we go again ...

Where does the right to free speech infringe upon the rights of others? I was told by Cam's school that when male students wear the bracelets it is considered "sexual harassment", but that the girls were allowed to wear the bracelets as they had a vested interest in breast cancer awareness.

Ummm ... yeah ...

Guess what? Cam wore his I ♥ Boobies bracelet again today - turned inside out so that the writing wasn't visible. Now, I can't say how long that lasted once he went into the school, but I did tell him that if the bracelet was confiscated again, I would not pick it up.

I'm not looking to get in to a parenting discussion here, although some of you will - no doubt - succumb to an overwhelming urge to tell me what a crappy parent I am for allowing my 14 year old son to wear this bracelet. I am curious as to what y'all think about the gender discrepancy issue here. Does it make sense? Is it fair? Is it right to assume girls are wearing the bracelet in support of breast cancer awareness, but boys are wearing them only for the sexual innuendo factor??

Well ... maybe there really is no need to answer that last question ...

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