9 Arab-American students in trouble for wearing 9/11 memorial shirt.

[Jessiesgirl1108]

The t-shirt is in support of the US

At least nine Detroit area high school juniors are in trouble for wearing sweat shirts bearing a design that evokes the terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center's Twin Towers.

Dearborn Public Schools spokesman David Mustonen has told The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press that the shirts the boys wore to Edsel Ford High School on Monday are "offensive" and in "poor taste."

The boys are Arab-American, as are about half the school's 1,700 students.

They belong to the 2011 class. On the shirts, the number 11 resembles two buildings, with the school's "Thunderbird" mascot flying toward them. Printed beneath the image are the words, "You can't bring us down."

The boys are to meet with school officials but suspensions are not planned.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,...est=latestnews

If these boys were caucasian would the school still have an issue with them wearing the shirts?

[Pazuzu]

That is fucking ridiculous.

[battery jackson]

well it seems that with the public's reaction to 9/11 and what was to follow, they DID bring us down, so maybe the shirts are a lie, and the administration does not want to promote dishonesty?

[Twisted]

well it seems that with the public's reaction to 9/11 and what was to follow, they DID bring us down, so maybe the shirts are a lie, and the administration does not want to promote dishonesty?

I have to agree. It's also sad that, clearly, the reason behind this is the students' heritage, which the media is propagating. This is a class shirt in a public school, with at least 50% not being of Arab descent. Odds are they weren't the only ones wearing the shirt.

[moonlilly1981]

If they were not of arab decent this would not have been a problem. This is fucking stupid.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

From what I read, there were about 15 shirts made by students at a local shop. It was not school related - other than in the pride of being the class of 2011, from Edsel Ford School. 9 were called in, the others took them off when word got out that folks were upset. All of the students were Arab American. They removed the shirts when asked and were shocked that people were offended.

I am not offended by the shirt. As an American, I am of the same sentiment. BUT if people of the community were taking an "Us vs Them" mentality about Arabs, I guess I can see it. But it sounded, to me, more like the students were Americans of Arab descent, rather than Arabs living in America.

If I wore that shirt, no one would blink.

[battery jackson]

well, clearly we need more racial profiling because nigerians from privelege get mad at their banker daddies and join al qaida (which anyone can technically join just by saying they have)

this is the 'new' policy inaction (space purposely omitted)

[Echo]

Maybe the school should remind themselves that these students are American.

[Twisted]

Maybe the school should remind themselves that these students are American.

Not just the school. It wouldn't hurt for the media presenting the story to do the same.

[ImmortalOne]

This could also lead back to what happened in Detroit the day of 9/11....

There were Middleastern people (Arabic or Iraqi or whatever) in the streets CHEERING what happened....

[Twisted]

This could also lead back to what happened in Detroit the day of 9/11....

There were Middleastern people (Arabic or Iraqi or whatever) in the streets CHEERING what happened....

That may be true, but it's no more fair to hold them responsible for something they likely were not involved in than it is fair to hold the child responsible for the crimes of the parent.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Really IO. That is beyond a bummer. I can see how the shirts wouldn't sit well. I wonder why people that would cheer it would live in a place they despise.

[Twisted]

I wonder why people that would cheer it would live in a place they despise.

The most likely reason I can find is that they may have little choice. It's certainly possible that many of them were, at the time of the incident, rebellious teenagers. I've seen plenty that I wouldn't be surprised by if they had cheered, and that includes several who have a long line of American ancestry.

It's also possible that at least some of them were not American citizens, but were here on student or work visas. At that point, I'd say their behavior was not prudent, but it is their choice to do it.

And that really is the greatest point behind it, to me. Regardless of how distasteful it may have been, I am thankful that they were allowed to do it. At least in this country, unlike some in the Middle East, they are free to express their views even when they offend others.

[Echo]

This could also lead back to what happened in Detroit the day of 9/11....

There were Middleastern people (Arabic or Iraqi or whatever) in the streets CHEERING what happened....

And there where Muslims in New York standing next to me waiting for hours to give blood. But maybe the media didn't give that any air time or coverage.

Why should these students pay for the ignorant actions of others?

(Arabic is the language by the way)

[biteme]

And there where Muslims in New York standing next to me waiting for hours to give blood. But maybe the media didn't give that any air time or coverage.

Why should these students pay for the ignorant actions of others?

(Arabic is the language by the way)

Maybe the media wasn't aware of those standing quietly not making asses of themselves. Not always the media's fault when crowds go out of their way to attract attention
Seems good people in general don't want to flaunt their good deeds, to bad the worse of the worse attract the most attention to themselves.
In this case the school may have considered the Shirts in bad taste and just wanted them removed, may not have had anything to do with profiling, they didn't have an issue with those that removed the shirts even though they were Arab-American
These aren't the 1st students to be asked to turn their shirts inside out, remove or go home.

[Twisted]

Maybe the media wasn't aware of those standing quietly not making asses of themselves. Not always the media's fault when crowds go out of their way to attract attention
Seems good people in general don't want to flaunt their good deeds, to bad the worse of the worse attract the most attention to themselves.

Sadly, this is very true... Of course, even if the media is aware of the others, they don't want to include them in the story. It decreases the emotional response they're intending to get from the viewer.

I see the same thing happening with gay pride and protest events. They go for the most outrageous things they can find, and tend to ignore the hordes of "normal" people around. It's a sort of cycle perpetuating stereotypes. It's what people want to see, so it's what they're shown, which further reinforces any stereotyped views the person may have.

[Echo]

Maybe the media wasn't aware of those standing quietly not making asses of themselves. Not always the media's fault when crowds go out of their way to attract attention
Seems good people in general don't want to flaunt their good deeds, to bad the worse of the worse attract the most attention to themselves.
In this case the school may have considered the Shirts in bad taste and just wanted them removed, may not have had anything to do with profiling, they didn't have an issue with those that removed the shirts even though they were Arab-American
These aren't the 1s students to be asked to turn their shirts inside out, remove or go home.

How can the shirt be in "poor taste" when the statement is a Pro American sentiment? That makes zero sense.

As far as Muslims waiting in line to give blood in NYC, our local media reported it quite a bit. Not sure about the mass media though.

[Twisted]

How can the shirt be in "poor taste" when the statement is a Pro American sentiment? That makes zero sense.

As far as Muslims waiting in line to give blood in NYC, our local media reported it quite a bit. Not sure about the mass media though.

Seems your local media is better than most of the media in the places I've lived. Any time they're looking at something that could be believably aimed to make a minority view look bad, it's done. That's what gets ratings.

[Echo]

Seems your local media is better than most of the media in the places I've lived. Any time they're looking at something that could be believably aimed to make a minority view look bad, it's done. That's what gets ratings.

Well it was NY 1. It doesn't get anymore local than that. And it plays on a loop allllll the live long day.

[Valasca]

Sigh...
they are only offended because they WANT to be.
this is beyond stupid.

[ImmortalOne]

And there where Muslims in New York standing next to me waiting for hours to give blood. But maybe the media didn't give that any air time or coverage.

Why should these students pay for the ignorant actions of others?

(Arabic is the language by the way)

I know the language is Arabic. However Dearborn and portions of Sterling Heights have the highest concentration of Middle Eastern persons outside of the Middle East. I was trying to be politically correct and not assume they were Saudi's, Iraqi, Iran, or whatever.

[ImmortalOne]

Really IO. That is beyond a bummer. I can see how the shirts wouldn't sit well. I wonder why people that would cheer it would live in a place they despise.

That is a great question DV... It almost started riots here...

[ImmortalOne]

How can the shirt be in "poor taste" when the statement is a Pro American sentiment? That makes zero sense.

As far as Muslims waiting in line to give blood in NYC, our local media reported it quite a bit. Not sure about the mass media though.

While it was intended to be a Pro American statement... I can see how someone would misconstrue it as well.

[Aslan]

When I lived in Detroit (it's been a few years so bare with me) Dearborn was said to have the highest population of arabs in a town of it's size in the US. No shock there were a few idiots cheering 9/11.
What is being omitted from the conversation is that more than a few non-arabs rioted and did their own form of terrorism that day. If you were from the ME, you hid.

As far as the shirts, I would have made them take them off too. If I ran a school, political/religious/anything that will cause others to stop and stare wouldn't be allowed.
Hell, uniforms make sense.
With the failed Christmas bomber all over the news..flight to DETROIT...ties to Al-Qeada..I would do what I could to minimize distraction. I'm sure tension is high enough in that area as it is. All it would take is another group of kids thinking they are mocking and all hell breaks loose.

[crickett]

Did anyone take the time to ASK the kids what the shirts represented?
"Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes."
At this point we're shooting without even knowing what the target is.

[battery jackson]

that clip on 9/11 of people cheering was actually a group of palestinians that just got food. (edit: i just looked it up further and found out that's not true, not sure where i got that from...)

but anyway, arabs weren't the only ones happy on 9/11 you know. http://www.bollyn.com/middle-east-crisis#article_10558

[biteme]

Did anyone take the time to ASK the kids what the shirts represented?
"Don't shoot until you see the whites of their eyes."
At this point we're shooting without even knowing what the target is.

The problem is if a group was offended they may have reacted in a negative way without bothering to ask, or not caring what the response was. The school was being proactive. Doesn't really matter what the shirts represented to the kids, it's how others may have perceived the message, and what the result could have been, we could say they would have to be stupid to become violent over these shirts, but we read about stupid every day on DD

[Echo]

Oh My God.

[biteme]

Oh My God.

Thought you were an atheist?

[Echo]

Thought you were an atheist?

Sure am, which is why it's not blasphemy to me.