Associated Press on School nixes teen's quest to grow wig hair
The Harlingen school board denied a student's request to grow long hair for a group that makes wigs for sick children, instead offering him the post of American Cancer Society liaison along with a $500 donation to the group in his name.
The $500 came from an anonymous donor in the amount that the hair would be worth.
Gerardo Garcia, Jr., 16, said he hoped to grow his hair at least 10 inches for donation to Florida-based Locks of Love. The nonprofit organization uses donated ponytails to create custom-fitted hairpieces of children suffering from medical hair loss. They provided Harlingen South High School a letter verifying that Garcia had applied to be a donor.
Of course, a bunch of conservatives (those folks who falsely claim to champion smaller, less intrusive government) will make a bunch of excuses for this policy. I, heathen libertarian though I be, on the other hand, see things differently. I thought the school board's job was to ensure that the students were – you know – educated. The assumed role of hair policeman is not an appropriate use of government money and force. But go ahead, Mr. and Ms. Conservative. Make your statist excuses.
“But go ahead, Mr. and Ms. Conservative. Make your statist excuses.”
Of course, you didn’t point to any actual Conservatives who said such a thing… you just invented them as strawmen.
Good going, dude!
“you just invented them as strawmen”
Yeah, I just invented the fact that conservatives are frequently on the statist side of student strip searches, illegal searches of student vehicles and – of course – expulsions of honor students for crimes like blue hair. If conservatives had a better track record with regard to the individual rights of public school students (other than only speaking up for them when Christian students are being persecuted), my comments would have been a straw man. Sadly, this is not the case.
And you know it. Way to pretend that stories like this one have never been politically debated before! Way to play make believe!
Good going, dude!
9/17/2004 20:27:00