The District’s policy doesn’t teach children to make moral choices it only conditions them to do exactly what they are told by the government without moral justification or reasoning.  I can understand the reasoning that pants that are so big that they could easily fall off while walking are unsafe because they could cause a student to trip, which could lead to an injury of a student while at school, which could lead to a lawsuit, which could lead to more problems.   I can understand the reasoning behind the need to teach our children to dress respectfully of others.  There is a time and place for everything and messages of hate do not need to be shared in school. The reasoning is there and with an understanding of this reasoning our children will learn to make moral choices.  But for the life of me, I cannot understand why stripes, multi-colored shirts, flowers, non-offensive prints, plaids and the like have been rendered inappropriate, because they are not.  The only possible reasoning I can find behind the policy, which in and of itself is a completely inappropriate concept, is the “You’re going to do it because I say so and I have the power to hurt you if you don’t do as I say” argument and this does not provide the proper reasoning to morally justify one’s actions.    

b)    Blind Obedience to anyone other than God is Unacceptable.

Rational obedience is imperative for the survival of our civilization.  A rational respect for the “unwritten rules” (morals and values) comes from the understanding that these rules are not there to just control our every action.  They are there to protect us.  It is within our understanding that we cannot do exactly what we wish at any given moment, that we fully realize the protecting principle that neither can anyone else.  It is therefore “… in one's own interest that one is part of a community where certain expectations can be held and long-term goals can be pursued.”[6]  However where rational obedience will lead to the survival of our civilization, blind obedience will lead to the demise of our civilization.   Obedience without thought only leads to the abuse of power.

As a Christian, I believe that we are supposed to be unquestionably obedient to God.  In 1 Samuel 15:22, Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. .”   In John 14:21,23 we learn “He who has My [Jesus’] commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and He who loves Me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him, and will disclose myself to him. . . If anyone loves me, he will keep my Word; and my Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.” 

Yet that sort of obedience ends with God and God alone.  Any other actions are only actions of men, in the name of God or otherwise, and therefore it is imperative that we exercise rational obedience to ensure that our actions are consistent with what we believe are the ways of God.  Scripture teaches us that we are “to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).  In Mark 7:1-23, we learn it is even appropriate to disregard rules if we believe they are wrong, because we will know what is right in our hearts and if “our hearts are right, then we will know how to make the rules, when to adapt them, and even when to disregard them. “[7]

It is in this passage where we find that:

The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.) So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?" He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' " After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. "Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.") He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "

To understand why we are taught that blind obedience is wrong and that it is okay to adapt or disregard those rules that we know in our heart are wrong all we need to do is look to history.  Here we see that some of man’s greatest inhumanities against man were made possible because of blind obedience. Those people did not blindly obey the word of God, they allowed others to distort God’s words and they blindly followed that distortion.

Blind obedience "seeks to limit the intellectual freedom and individual freedom” of others, allows us to "abdicate personal responsibility and yield to the authority” and "become enslaved to particular ideas or teachings." When one or more of these forms of "blind obedience" occur even religion can become evil.  [8]

I cannot let you teach my children to accept without questioning interventions from the government.  Again, I find support for my beliefs in (Colossians 2:20) were we are instructed not to subject oneself to worldly regulation.  My children are learning to live their lives according to the morals that I have taught them and the word of God.  However just because some of the principles of these teachings have been codified into laws, making it appear that we are subjecting ourselves to regulation, this is not the case.  We would be living our lives according to our morals and beliefs even if the law or rule did not exist.  It is when the rule or law diverges from our beliefs that this becomes apparent.  For instance God has instructed me “Thou shalt not kill.”  If suddenly there were no laws making it a crime to kill another person, I would still not do it. While it may appear that it is the law that is stopping me, in reality it is just a coincidence.  It is not the fact that it is a crime that stops me from killing another; it is because I am following the command of God.  Taking it a step further, under no circumstances would I ever subject myself to any regulation put forth by our governmental leaders that mandated I kill another should our governmental leaders wage a war that I did not believe was morally justified.

When regulations diverge from our beliefs then we need to follow our beliefs and stand up to the regulation.  Some of the greatest leaders of our history believed in standing up to government’s intervention in their lives.  If no one took a stand to try to improve the quality of life or to challenge something that is wrong, we would still have segregated schools, women would not be allowed to vote, and young children would be working instead of going to school. 

I believe in my heart that the District’s policy is wrong.  The reasoning provided for the policy is not sound and provides no justification and is even in direct contradiction to my beliefs.  Therefore, the only way that we can accept the policy is to disregard that which we feel in our hearts and offer blind obedience, which means we would need to hold the District in the same regard as we hold God, offering blind obedience, and thus making the government a religious deity unto itself. I cannot do this, nor will I allow you to teach my children that they must do this to get an education. 

c)     Utilizing learning to dress as a tool for teaching moral development 

I think the one of the most frightening things I hear from people in support of uniforms and standardize dress is the statement “I like it because I don’t have to think about what to wear.”  How can anyone say that this is a wonderful achievement?  We desperately need our children to think.  Without thinking there is no reasoning.  Without reasoning there is no moral consideration and without moral consideration there is no moral development.  If we are going to teach children how to make good moral choices then we have to let them practice making them in real life settings. As a parent I view letting my children choose their own clothing, under my supervision, as a tool that gives them an opportunity to practice making moral choices.  The District’s policy has taken that tool away from me. 

I say under my supervision, because it is ultimately my responsibility to ensure that their clothing is appropriate for school.  I accomplish this mainly by ensuring that the clothing I purchase for them to wear is safe, appropriate, respectable and acceptable clothing in our society.  If they brought something to me that they wanted and yet that I did not feel was appropriate, I would not buy it and I would explain to them why it was not acceptable.  They could voluntarily purchase the clothing on their own of course, if they saved their money, but because they respect my teachings and me and understand the reasoning I have provided, they accept my direction voluntarily.  There may also be times where something I've purchased may be appropriate in our society and yet it is not appropriate for school.  For instance, swimming suits and pjs are appropriate attire in our society for their uses, but not at school.  Once again, since my children respect me, as well as what I've taught them, and since they understand the reasoning I have provided, they are voluntarily making the moral choice to not wear inappropriate clothing to school.

 Clothing can reflect values and moral judgments. It is evident that you agree with me on this because in your “Purpose” you claim that you are teaching things like responsibility, which is indeed a moral trait.  However your policy will fail to accomplish this, because it coerces children into complying.  You do not have a responsible act unless you have a voluntary act.  

d)    Right to have their choices respected

Not only am I teaching my children how to make good moral choices, but I am also teaching them that they have a fundamental moral right to have their choices respected by others. According to philosophers like Immanuel Kant, it is the fact that human beings have the ability to choose freely what they want to do with their lives that sets them apart from other things and with that right to freely choose goes the “fundamental moral right to have these choices respected.” [9]  I understand that having this moral right does not give a person cart blanche to violate the rights of others and I am also teaching my children that when they want to determine whether an act will be moral or immoral they must look at its effect on the rights of others.  It is exactly this understanding that provides the reasoning behind the moral practice of prohibiting inappropriate attire that is lewd, hazardous, hate-filled and the like at school.  Other children have a right to attend school as well and thus we have a balancing act between the rights of all who attend.  But I do not understand how stripes, multi-colored shirts, flowers, non-offensive prints, plaids and the like which are not lewd, distracting, unsafe, unhealthy, immoral, immodest, indecent, hazardous, materially disruptive or in anyway inappropriate for school violate the rights of others? 

The District’s policy does not recognize or respect my children’s right to make moral choices.  The policy goes far beyond the protection of the rights of others.   By refusing to allow children to choose from clothing that is appropriate attire and which does not violate the rights of others, this school is preventing children from making moral choices.  The only thing I see being obtained by the prohibition of this otherwise appropriate attire is the complete and utter control, which does not allow for moral choices.

e)     Moral dilemma created

Another lesson I am teaching my children is respect for authority.  There is however a hierarchy to that authority, with God being the ultimate authority.  As my parental authority over my children is a God-given authority, I believe it takes precedence over other authorities and I believe that the District’s standardized dress policy shows a lack of respect for my authority as their parent and indeed undermines that authority. 

In the Commandments, God told us to “Honor your father and your mother.” Again, in Deuteronomy 5 we are told to Honor our father and mother so that we may live long in the land the Lord our God has given us.[10] God’s admonition to honor one's parents is not meant to put children into bondage, but to give them an opportunity to display their love for God.   We are not asked to honor our parents because they are always right or always know what’s best or because they are always good.  We are asked to honor them because they are always our parents and because God, who alone knows what is best, establishes their authority over us. It does not establish an empty master-servant relationship, but one where an experienced parent teaches their child to distinguish right from wrong.[11]

To truly honor one’s parents means we should live our lives to serve, obey, love, and respect them not just while we are in our parent’s presence but at all times.  When my children are at school and outside of my presence they are to continue to honor me by respecting the things I’ve taught them and living their lives according to the ways I have taught them.  As a parent, I am instructed in the Bible to “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”[12] My children are instructed throughout the Bible to follow those teachings:

Proverbs 1:8 - My son, hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother."

Proverbs 23:26 - My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

Proverbs 4:1 - Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Proverbs 13:1 - A wise son heareth his father's instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.

Proverbs 7:1 - My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

As a parent and a law-abiding citizen it is also my responsibility to teach my children to respect the authority of those charged with their care and safety when they are not in my presence.  I have done that and wish to continue doing so. However a conflict has arisen because the District’s policy promotes concepts that I cannot justify and/or that I am opposed to and which are in contradiction to my moral and religious teachings.  These policies do not just expose my children to concepts that I am opposed to, they go further and require my children to act upon them and thus they are required to accept those concepts as their own.  I believe that this policy is wrong to core of my being because of the reasons I have provided throughout this writing and my children know this.  As such, it is creating a moral dilemma for my children and is jeopardizing the spiritual instructions I have given them.  Do they embrace my parental authority and follow the teachings of their parents, which will cause them to suffer the wrath of the District or do they submit to the District’s authority and it’s arbitrary mandates, risking their spiritual well being, just for the opportunity to receive an education? As the one charged with their moral well-being, I cannot allow you force this choice upon them. 

I will not allow you to compel them to dismiss or undermine my authority.  I am a fit parent, who is committed to raising my children to become self-reliant adults who are prepared to meet their future obligations in a manner that is accordance with God’s ways.  I am certainly not a parent who is teaching her children anything that is harmful to the public morals of our society nor that which will imperil the public safety of others, and so the school’s authority, as an arm of the government, does not supersede my parental authority.

My children are a privilege given to me by God.  And with that privilege comes the responsibility to ensure their moral and spiritual well-being.  I accept this responsibility willingly and will not relinquish it to the State.  I consider my job as a parent to be the most important thing I do. I only have a short time to teach, train, model, and prepare my children for their future. I have always had an active role in my children’s upbringing and education and I believe it is my job as a parent to provide them with the guidance they need to prepare them for their future. This guidance involves devoting myself to meeting my children’s needs.

The guiding principles by which I as a parent can influence my children, which are paramount in the establishing and maintaining a healthy parent-child relationship, can be found in the Old and New Testaments.  As a parent, I rely on Christ's examples of acceptance, gentleness, kindness, trust, faith, forgiveness, patience, understanding, and unconditional love and I believe that the “Golden Rule” not only applies to how we interact with adults but with our children as well.  When I stop and think, "Am I treating my children the way that I would want to be treated", I find myself handling parenting much differently than I otherwise might.  When I apply the “Golden Rule” to the standardized dress policy and ask myself, "Would I want to be told what to wear day after day, in a manner that is so restrictive it prevents me from wearing clothing that is perfectly appropriate and acceptable attire in our society due to a rule that I cannot justify within my own beliefs?"  No, I wouldn't. Then how can I expect my children to?

2)   OTHER VALUES

a)     Character Counts

I am also teaching my children that it is what is on the inside that is important, not the outside. It is a person’s character that shows others who they are.  For instance a person with good moral character knows the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behavior.  They would be trustworthy, loyal, respectful, courteous, helpful, considerate, studious, obedient and kind, just to name a few.  I am teaching my children that it is character traits like these that we are to use should we need to judge one another.  These are the true measure of their behavior, not the color of their clothes. As Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “I have a dream my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”  Color is not the measure of one’s character, be it a layer of skin or a layer of clothes.   By prescribing certain colors or only solid colors you are teaching my children that color matters over the content of their character.  With the District’s policy it doesn’t matter how respectful my children are.  It doesn’t matter how trustworthy they are. It doesn’t matter how courteous, helpful, considerate, studious, and kind they are.  With the District’s standardized dress policy it is not character or acceptable behavior that is being considered.  The only thing that matters with your policy is what is on the outside, whether the color requirements prescribed by the government have been met.  Everything else is disregarded if the color requirements are not met.  Whether you are intending to or not, you are teaching that if the outside isn’t perfect, especially in the eyes of someone with power, it doesn’t matter what’s on the inside.  I will not let my children be taught such an inappropriate concept, nor will I allow you to compel my children to accept that it is okay to base one’s appropriateness on something so arbitrary as color, or shade of a color or singularity of color. 

b)     Self Esteem

It is stated that one benefit of standardized dress is to improve a student’s self-esteem. I believe physical appearance is a faulty foundation for building a child's confidence.  I give God all the credit for every gift my children have, and I try to teach them to do the same, I feel this gives my children a sense of humble appreciation.  I continually teach my children to value the inside of a person, not the outside. "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).  Jesus said, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15).  I have always emphasized that no one is better or worse than anyone else because of what they have or don't have.  This applies to standardized dress as well; no one is better than anyone else because they wear a standardized dress.  Instead of taking the emphasis off of appearances, this standardized dress policy places the emphasis on our student's appearance and as such it is teaching concepts that are inapposite to what I am teaching them and also forces my children to accept these concepts as their own by acting upon them.

 

My children’s self esteem is just fine in the clothes they would normally wear, which meet or exceed any requirements of the pre standardized dress code. I believe forcing them to wear a standardized dress could potentially harm their self-esteem and diminish the value of the lessons I have tried so hard to teach them.

c)     Pride 

It is also been implied that another of the purposes of school standardized dress is "BUILDING PRIDE," yet I have taught them that being overly prideful is an attitude of superiority, a puffed up mentality that manifest itself in an arrogant, unrealistic estimation of oneself in relation to others.  Instead I believe we should be humble, not thinking of ourselves as better than anyone else.  I also believe we should not base our self-esteem on conditional or transitory factors such as how you look, what you've done, the job you hold, or the attention you receive. Another purpose of school’s standardized dress is to create a  "SENSE OF BELONGING," yet I believe that a child's sense of belonging should be with the family, not the school. 

d)     Respect for Diversity

I believe we live in a world where we depend on our ability to get along with people that are different than us, and that in this diversity we can find our own individual identity as well as accept others in their differences.   My children are learning to be tolerant of the differences between people within our society.  There is no respect for diversity when those who are different are forced to hide their differences.  True respect for diversity comes when those differences are respected.  I am teaching my children that they need to respect another person’s differences, whether it is viewpoint, looks, socioeconomic or any of a number of things.  The standardize dress teaches my children that they must hide their differences.  Our society has forgotten that respecting someone’s differences doesn’t mean that you have to adopt or embrace those differences as your own.  It merely means that you will treat that other person with respect even though you have differences.

 

I believe learning to live with ethnic, racial, and a social difference is a big part of growing up and maturing. I also believe we need to celebrate these differences and not try to force everyone to conform to one standard. It is my belief that requiring my children to dress a certain way and in taking away their choice, you are not guiding them towards the realization that certain things or actions are inappropriate, but instead you are fostering the horrendous belief that it is unacceptable to dress, look or think any other way than as dictated by certain people in society. I believe mandatory standardized dress teaches intolerance of individual differences and fosters the concept that it is unacceptable to be different. I am vehemently opposed to my children being taught this or socialized in this manner.

Another example of this comes specifically, from the book DESIGNER GENES by Ken Abraham.  (Psalms 139:13-16 and Romans 12:2).  "You are a unique individual.  An original with unique gifts, talents, and personality traits.  Why should you want to be like someone else?  You don't have to be! You, as a Christian, are free from external status symbols of the world.  In fact, our Creator despises our attempts to squeeze all of His diverse, original creations into the same mold.  That's why Paul wrote, `Do not be conformed to this world, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.'  Dare to be yourself!"

It is my belief that we must teach our children tolerance of individual differences. I will not foster any concept that says in is unacceptable to be different. If we have children who look down on others, I can guarantee you that it is a behavior they have learned, whether it be from their parents, society, television, or some other influence in their lives. This is not an innate behavior that a child is born with. Until we teach them it is wrong they will continue with that behavior and thus pass it on to their children. You cannot change this behavior by making everyone look the same. What about individual differences we cannot change, like race, sex, physical appearance, etc.? We have had to establish laws to protect people from this non-acceptance. Thankfully society’s notions are gradually changing and we as members of the human race are beginning to understand that it is outrageous to even consider such things. But still we see discrimination. We have to do everything we can to fight any form of it. We cannot make everyone fit into someone’s notion of what is right. By saying you can only dress this way, we are erroneously teaching our children, by example, that it is okay to exclude something that is different from what we say, simply because we are adults and we are in power. We are not teaching our children acceptance, but instead we are teaching them that as long as they are in a position of power or have the upper hand, that they can exclude and control anything or anyone.

3)   ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT

a)     Limited Government

I am also teaching my children that it is morally wrong for our government to dictate to its citizens those matters of a personal nature.  This would include dictating to people what they are required to wear in order to be worthy of a public education in our community or how our citizens should spend their money.  Our government is limited in how it can delve into our lives.  As humans, we all have the right to make our own choices and to act in accordance with those choices, unless those actions infringe upon the equal liberty of other human beings to act in accordance with their choices.  The role of the government is limited to protecting individual rights: life, liberty, and property.  That is why laws and rules that prevent one from infringing upon the equal rights of others are permissible.  However, that is also why laws and rules that limit a choice when that choice does not infringe upon the equal rights of others are themselves infringements and thus are not permissible.

The Board of Trustees, and thus the public school system, is an arm of the government and it is not their role to mandate the specifics of what I or my family wear or where or what we spend our money on. We are a democratic republic and not a communistic regime. The proper role of the school is to create rules that prohibit those actions that infringe upon the equal rights of others. The proper role of the governmental school is teach our children to recognize that we are all different, but that our differences do not matter in the eyes of the government and as such the government is going to treat everyone equally and provide them with an equal opportunity to learn.  It is not the role of the government to try to make them all equal so that they may receive an education. And it is certainly not the role of the government to teach children that they need to hide their differences to be acceptable in our society. Just as girls are supposed to be treated equally to boys, and visa versa, children whose families are not well off should be treated equally to those who have money.  That is what we are supposed to be teaching our children and that is what I am teaching mine.  

Clothing establishes the status of a person and can also reflect values. The District’s requirement of a standardized dress specifically mandates what my children wear and dictates how I spend my money, and therefore they are mandating the status of my family and the values that are held by my family.  Since I have the right to direct the moral training of my children and as I believe that it is morally wrong for the government to dictate to me how I must dress my children and how I must spend my money, I will not allow the District to teach them this or compel them to affirm such a concept and belief by acting upon it.

b)    Forced Political Ideology

A concept put forth in support of standardized dress is that it puts everyone on a level playing field. I regard this as a socialistic concept. I believe this requirement, whether indirectly or directly, results in the government forcing a specific political ideology on to its citizens and I object to the school, which is an arm of the government, forcing a political ideology onto my children and my family. I am free to believe in any political ideology and free to teach my children any political ideology and I do not believe we are all on the same level, nor do I want my children taught that it is necessary that we all be on the same level. It is my philosophy that if we work hard then we have a right to feel good in that fact and if we've done our best then we should feel no shame and we should just be happy for others in their success. I believe this mandatory standardized dress requirement teaches children that if they are not all on the same level then they should feel either shame or guilt, depending upon what level they find themselves. I don't what my children taught this or socialized in this manner.

c)     Standardizing Children is Unacceptable

I believe it is morally wrong for the government to try and standardize the children of this Country and that is what I see happening with the District’s policy.   One of the main arguments made by proponents of this type of policy is that it will stop kids from noticing the differences between children from rich and from poor families.  First off this will not happen because there are other indicators of this difference and it if matters to someone then they will notice.  But more importantly why would we want to do such a thing?  What about the external difference that cannot be changed?  Kids who tease others will find any reason to tease, unless we stop the teasing for whatever reason.  How about teaching those children that it is wrong to treat others that way?

It is a simple fact that we are all different and that we are not all on the same level.  There are kids who excel academically and some who struggle.  There are some kids who have a great athletic ability and some who don’t.  There are kids who are tall and some who are short.  There are kids with one color skin, hair eyes and some kids with another. There are some kids who come from rich families and some who don’t. I do not want my child made to believe that it is necessary that we all be on the same level to feel good about ourselves.  We are all different and this is a fact of life in our country.  I have taught my children that we may be socio-economically above some and socio-economically below others.  If they work harder to advance or achieve a goal, then I do not want them taught that they should feel guilty and have to hide their success from others.  And just the opposite applies as well.  If there are others who are better off then them I do not want them feeling shame nor do I want them to feel that others are obligated to hide their success from them It is my moral philosophy that if we work hard then we have a right to be proud of that fact and if we've done our best then we should feel no shame and we should just be happy for others.  Letting our children think that clothing hides our differences only teaches them that if they are not on the same level then that is something they need to hide. I don't what my children taught this.

Why would anyone want to teach a child “if someone dresses different than you, they're not as good you, or don't belong, stay away from him or her”? Or better yet, those who are different need to figure out a way to change before they can become acceptable. Also, kids are not stupid.  They can tell the difference between older, faded, well-worn uniform clothing then the brand new uniforms.

I want my children to understand that it is not the role of the government to standardize its children and I see the District’s policy as attempting exactly this.  Thus, I am teaching my children that the policy is morally wrong to attempt this.  The Supreme Court has already confirmed its concurrence in Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925) wherein it ruled “The fundamental . . . liberty . . . excludes any general power of the state to standardize its children. . . . The child is not the mere creature of the state; those who nurture him . . . have the right . . . to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations. “Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510, 535 (1925)

d)    Role of Public School

While a school has the ability to set its own curriculum, I am teaching my children that it is not the role of the public school system to impose values that conflict with that of the child’s parents by compelling students to act in a manner that the parent objects to. The U.S. Supreme Court’s concurrence in this regard can be found in Wisconsin v. Yoder wherein we find that a conflict between public schooling and a family’s basic and sincerely held values interferes with the family’s First Amendment Rights.

e)     Role of Citizens

I have always taught my children to stand up for your beliefs, even if it seems that everyone else is giving in.  This confidence to be able to resist is important for them to be able to say NO to peer pressures of alcohol, drugs, etc. I have taught them to value education, because the more education they have the more choices they will have in their adult lives. Many minimum wage jobs require specific dress. Professional positions usually allow for more flexibility in attire.  A higher education provides more choices in life.  I don't wear khaki pants and a solid color polo shirt to work day after day.  It is a choice I have made in my life.  What a boring town this would become if we were like "Pleasantville" and the only acceptable clothes were khaki or navy pants and the only acceptable shirts were solid color shirts. 

4)   GROUP THOUGHT

I believe forcing my children to adhere to this standardized dress policy is a promotion of group thinking and it lessens their individuality. I believe my children must first learn to stand as individuals, to form their own beliefs, to make their own choices and to understand that they and they alone, are responsible for their actions. I believe that mandatory standardized dress promotes group thought and not individual thought. I am raising an individual, not a team and I am not a proponent of the "anything for the team" philosophy, nor do I want my children socialized in this manner. I want them to make their own choices and I want them to be able to explain why they made those choices. The argument “everybody’s doing it” doesn’t work with me.

 

I believe that learning to be strong individuals will also make them better members of any team or group they belong to later in life, be it community, work or otherwise.  Group thought only stifles and hinders a group.  Going along with what the group thinks and does only because it is coming from the group is dangerous.  We need to be able to think for ourselves and be strong enough to leave a group, if that group starts to take the wrong path and refuses to consider the correct path.

5)   CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS

I believe it is my moral responsibility to teach my children the rights afforded to them by the Constitution of this great nation and I believe that the mandatory standardized dress infringes upon their right to freedom of expression guaranteed in the First Amendment. As a parent it is my obligation to ensure that this does not occur. I want them to fully appreciate their constitutional rights. I have taught them that they are free to express themselves and develop their own identities. Identities are not something that can be turned off and on like a light switch nor should they be required to do so. And yes I believe children by virtue of their U.S. citizenship do have rights. I realize many people quote the First & Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution when discussing freedom, which is argued by attorneys and defined and clarified over time by judges through the legal system.  Although the Supreme Court stated that a student's rights are not relinquished at the school door, there are still some who believe that children have no rights. However, the only age limitation you will find in the Constitution deal with the holding of legislative and executive offices and the age limitations referenced in the Amendments relate to apportionment of Representatives and then finally there is the reference “The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age.” While this does not limit those who are under the age of eighteen from voting, it does ensure that those over the age of eighteen cannot be denied the right to vote. What children do not have is the power to assert their rights. The Constitution would be just another piece of paper if we did not have the power to assert our own rights. The rights of adults are often violated but we have the ability and power to seek redress, whereas children do not. Laws and limits have been set on a child’s ability to seek redress, and therefore it becomes the responsibility of the parent to do so. Rather than arguing a legal point, I'd like to point out that the Declaration of Independence clearly states that all Men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.  As Americans, we greatly value our freedom of choice.

 

Abraham Lincoln once said, "Those who would deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves."  Standardized dress in public schools should be a family or individual choice within reasonable guidelines of decency and safety.  Students should be allowed to dress comfortably and uniquely as long as it is appropriate and respectable.  Their rights as human beings do not stop at the school door.   I realize that some people look down on children as inferior, but I am comforted by (1 Timothy 4:12), "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are Young, but set an example for the believers in Speech, in Life, in Love in Faith and in Purity." 

6)   CLOSING

In closing I would like to reiterate that the District’s standardized dress crosses the line and intrudes on my rights as a parent.  I believe that it is my role as a parent to determine the best interest of my children. I believe my children will think less of my ability to make a decision on their behalf if they are forced to wear a standardized dress while knowing my beliefs thus forcing them to break the commandment which instructs children to honor their parents and their parent's teachings. This is reinforced in (Proverbs 1:8) stating; "My son, hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother." You do not need to fear my teachings.  My children will be clean; they will be appropriately dressed; and they will be respectful of others. I would request that the school board follow the laws of this state and that they be respectful of my parental rights and my teachings.