Also, is Richard Dawkins’ God Delusion allowed, or called hate speech?

I am pretty sure that it is hate speech. But it’s ok because its hating people that its ok to hate, right? (those that disagree with athiests)

Uhm, what on earth are you talking about? ‘The God Delusion’ being considered hate speech in Canada? are you kidding??

If you were attempting humour, my apologies….but if your reply was serious, you’re giving people a completely false picture of what constitutes ‘hate speech’ in Canada.

1. Expense. School uniforms are often paid for by students/parents, leaving low income kids who can not afford to buy the uniforms (or do laundry almost every day) to be punished for violations.

2. Sexism. School uniforms are almost universially sexist and force female students to wear a different uniform (ie skirts). This also affects trans kids who are routinely punished for wearing the ‘wrong’ gender uniform.

3. Uniforms have not been proven to reduce gang violence or bias related violance.

4. School uniforms increase the coercion to conformity within school systems.

5. Uniforms often cause the exclusion of certain children due to health or religious reasons. Girls who choose to wear a hajib or boys who choose to wear a yarmulke may be expelled. Surely this does not promote religious freedom. Some of these rules go so far as to ban wigs or head coverings of any form, which may create extra stress for people on chemo or people with other disorders (this does happen, I’ve seen it happen, a girl with leukemia at my high school spent three days suspended for refusing to come to school without being aloud to cover her head).

“Targeting” is a very sloppy word here. What I said was that criticizing a religion does not equal hating the people who practice that religion.

trixr4kids, you might want to look at your original comment. “target” was your word, not mine. And its a more appropriate word than “criticize,” a word which appears nowhere in your comment. You did, instead, refer to “hating a religion.” Helpful internet rule: before you complain that people are misquoting you, remember that your original quote is still visible by scrolling up.

To address your new, changed comment, yes, criticizing a religion does not necessarily equal hating the religion. There are many ways in which one can criticize Muslim beliefs as irrational or Muslim practices as bad without being hateful. However, I think it’s pretty clear that someone who says “Islam is of the Devil” is hateful and intends a hateful message.

“Targeting” is a very sloppy word here. What I said was that criticizing a religion does not equal hating the people who practice that religion.

Do you hate everybody whose ideas you find fit to criticize? You obviously think my idea, expressed above, is stupid:

Therefore, you must hate me.

Why do you hate me, Autumnal Harvest? Oh, why? *sobs*

This isn’t an issue with the schooling system nor is it an issue of free speech. It’s an issue of keeping people safe and feeling safe.

Their parents are free to express their stupid ideas elsewhere. Making T-shirts for their kids to wear into a public school is not acceptable. It reminds me of the idea of strapping bombs onto trained dogs that then enter a location.

Having said all that, I also kind of like the idea of holding one’s nose and accepting the unacceptable. Maybe these kids would just be laughed at by the other kids, who might respond with T-shirts bearing witty responses. Freedom of speech isn’t just a pretty ideal. It often actually works as a means of spreading truth.

Tolerating this would probably result in the beating of brown-skinned students, but I almost want to give an extreme freedom-of-speech approach a chance here.

BTW, I’m sure that they are lying when the say they would have no problem with T-shirts attacking Christianity.

I fully support the right of these people to wear this shirt.

Just not in school.

This.

Kids don’t get to wear whatever they feel like wearing to school. The public school system where I live disallows basically anything the principal wants to disallow. Rules against shirts advertising pot, alcohol, illegal activities, etc. are just the beginning. There are also rules that you can’t wear shorts between Thanksgiving and April vacation, and you can’t wear shirts that don’t cover your shoulders (e.g. tank tops). One gay kid was sent home for wearing “mascara tears” type makeup at the high school a couple of years ago.

It’s not about free speech. It’s about dress code violation. What if a kid wanted to wear a clown suit to school every day? There are legitimate reasons that dress code violations are not allowed.

Just not in school.

“Free Speech” doesn’t allow little billy to talk during class either. He’s going to get sent to the principal’s office.