Hatrack River Forum: I think I've figured out this French Head Scarf Thing (A thought experiment)

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Posted by sarcasticmuppet (Member # 5035) on :

I was thinking about this while doing my American Heritage (:barf smilie:) homework, where we had to discuss how the Framers would handle a modern political issue. For the purpose of that assignment, I chose the French ban on religious emblems in public schools. I was writing the assignment, when this thought experiment suddenly occured to me:

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I am a Jr. High student in France.

One night, I decided to dye my hair black. Something went horribly wrong, and now it is bright orange. I mean Bright orange.

I am loathe to go to school the next day. In an effort to hide my [Eek!]

-worthy hair, I run to Walmart (do they have Walmarts in France? I digress) and grab a Kathy Lee-brand scarf. It's actually quite pretty, with pink and purple swirly things on it. Anyway...

The next day at school I wear the head covering bandana-style to great effect: noone knows what lies under it. I show my hair only to my good friend Shareen (yissallam, Ashley! What did you do to your hair!). While I understand that Shareen, as a Muslim, wears a head scarf every day to symbolize her humility before her god, she knows and understands that I'm wearing one on one occasion for no other reason than to preserve my vanity. I dye my hair back the next night, none of my other classmates being the wiser. However I keep the scarf and even wear it on a few choice bad hair days in order to hide my less-than-desireable physical discrepancies. I'm a bit petty, yes, but I'm also fourteen. I'm allowed [Razz]

.

One such bad hair day occurs on the first day of next school year. Just my luck, but I pull out my handy head scarf and go to school without much fuss. Until, of course, first period Algebra, which my friend Shareen also attends. The teacher, who we both had before, takes one look at us and asks Shareen to remove her head scarf.

I raise my hand. "Professeur," I say. "Why must I not also remove my head scarf?"

I watch him squirm for a bit, then reply, "because you, Ashley, are not Muslim, and therefore your head covering is not a contraband religious emblem."
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This legislation, the way I understand it, has no generality. It does not apply to everyone, only certain minorities. Of course, said imaginary teacher could ask me to take the scarf off, but I could theoretically fight it based on the fact that it's not a relgious emblem, couldn't I?

Thoughts? Rebuttals? Mad Props?

Posted by twinky (Member # 693) on :

It's probably safe to assume that head coverings in general are prohibited in class, you know [Wink]

Posted by pooka (Member # 5003) on :

Well, this was my thought in the other thread, if all headwear is banned, that's fine. But the exception for small crosses is what causes me to think it's a steaming heap of manure.

Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :

Exactly, pooka.

And even if twink is right, do you think that they will also make a girl who's had chemotherapy not wear a head scarf? Cause I find it highly unlikely.

Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :

Surely no one thinks Goths (or Madonna) wear crosses for religious purposes.

Or made much fuss about banning blue(Crips) and red(Bloods) baseball caps and knitcaps from being worn in school.

[ February 13, 2004, 03:37 PM: Message edited by: aspectre ]

Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :

Just adding for foreign readers that Crips and Bloods are a large number of loosely affiliated small criminal gangs (often with a large percentage of youth).

Kinda like radical"Muslim" youth gangs of France.

Posted by BannaOj (Member # 3206) on :

I like your thought experiment!

AJ

Posted by John L (Member # 6005) on :

Damn, aspectre, you missed something in your statements—red and blue scarves (which were used to identify crip and blood membership) were banned for a while, and not just in east LA. Additionally, other gang-related styles have been banned over the years. I remember when there was a ban on wearing a certain type of jacket to school fifteen years ago. I'm afraid your claim falls short. Maybe you just had to be there.

Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :

Thanks for the reminder. I forgot that headscarves (which "gangsta"s also wore) and other items of clothing were included.

You left out trenchcoats though [Big Grin]

Posted by John L (Member # 6005) on :

That's after my years in high school. [Wink]