...about the North Carolina public school student who has been suspended from school for the past four weeks for wearing a nose piercing. The school claims that her pierced nose violates the dress code. She and her mother claim that they belong to the Church of Body Modification and that the school is violating her religious freedom; according to her mother, "I explained to the principal and various school officials how my daughter’s nose stud is essential to the expression of our family’s religious values.” And of course the ACLU has jumped on the bandwagon; they're suing the school. ACLU attorneys have written “This is a case about a family’s right to send a 14-year-old honor student to public school without her being forced to renounce her family’s religious beliefs.”
You're so right, Charlie Brown.
Good grief.
According to their web site, the Church of Body Modification "represents a collection of members practicing ancient and modern body modification rites. We believe these rites are essential to our spirituality. Practicing body modification and engaging in body manipulation rituals strengthen the bond between mind, body, and soul. By doing so, we ensure that we live as spiritually complete and healthy individuals." Their statement of faith is summed up in these words:
As followers of this faith, it is our purpose to educate and inspire, to share ideas, and to help each other achieve our dreams. We strive to unify and strengthen our mind, body, and soul so we can overcome any challenges we may encounter. We assert and protect our rights to modify our bodies and to practice our rituals.
We believe our bodies belong only to ourselves and are a whole and integrated entity: mind, body, and soul. We maintain we have the right to alter them for spiritual and other reasons.
Affirmation of our living, breathing, physical beings is paramount to our self-identities and helps us define who we are. The Church of Body Modification promotes affirmation and growth of a more expansive perspective of our physical and spiritual being.
With apologies to the school, you may have a hard time arguing in court that pierced ears are OK but pierced noses are not.
With apologies to the ACLU, don't you have enough to keep yourselves occupied? Aren't there more vital civil liberties being threatened somewhere in this nation?
LATE BREAKING NEWS - a federal court has ordered the school to allow this student to return. Three cheers for democracy, huh?
Oh my...
ReplyDeleteLet me tell you, that picture you posted was disturbing! And I'm not talking about the Charlie Brown one.
I think the schools need to get some professional people in there to explain to the students that in the business world, if you do things like that to your face and body, you shouldn't expect to get hired.
I think Barb has hit the nail on the head there, re getting a job.
ReplyDeleteOur "enlightened" society believes we should treat other people's religions with respect. Nonsense. I treat other people with respect - their whacky "religions", NO.