If you are one of the lucky scholars who attend North Warren Central School , I’m sure you’re aware of the dress code. Even if you aren’t, the concept probably isn’t foreign to you. Dress codes are pretty common in public places these days. Like maybe you can’t go to work wearing a shirt that pictures a marijuana leaf, you can’t walk into Dunkin’ Donuts without a shirt on, but we cannot walk into our high school wearing a hood.

What the fuck has happened to the principles this country was founded on? America was supposed to be the good country. Remember? We were supposed to have freedom. Freedom of speech; freedom of press; and vicariously, freedom of expression. Come on America . What are you doing?

But anyway, the problem we’re attempting to tackle here is not one of America in its entirety – simply because such an undertaking is not realistic at this time. It’s just important to note the relationship between America ’s current issues of backwardness and those of our school. Our situation stems from the post-9/11, post-Columbine syndrome the nation is experiencing at this time. We are calling for extreme preventative action in reaction to recent tragedies. However, bad things usually follow when extreme solutions are applied in these situations. Perhaps you remember Hitler? And now we have George W. on TV with his “war on terrorism” crap. If he grew a little mustache, I could almost see… Perhaps we should make the terrorists wear little yellow stars. He he he. Remember McCarthy? Remember the Salem witch trials? Jesus Christ! Doesn’t anyone ever catch on?

Alright. I’m starting to digress a little. You have to catch me when I do that. Let’s start back a few years. There was a dress code back then, but it wasn’t full of ridiculous clauses. It was an appropriate dress code for a high school. But then we hear: thou shalt not wear a tank top in school. In my mind, this was really the first injustice of the dress code. I mean really, in this day, a tank top? Why would you tell someone they can’t wear a tank top? Freedom to express one’s self is a necessary component of social development, and public schools are a place for social development. I wonder if the administration realizes that. They think that a student wearing a hooded outfit promotes gang activity; a student wearing a tank top inhibits the learning ability of others; a student who wears earrings might just stab someone with them. I could kill somebody with my pen. Let’s outlaw those too! The administration just doesn't get it. They've never taken the time to reflect on why kids shoot up their schools. It's because of the god damn dress code!

In all seriousness, I can understand the reasoning behind most of the regulations of the dress code. Even the tank top thing. I don’t agree with it, but I understand the thinking behind it. However, HOODED SWEATSHIRTS DO NOT PROMOTE GANG ACTIVITY, THE COLOR BLUE DOES NOT PROMOTE GANG ACTIVITY, EARRINGS WILL NOT BE USED AS WEAPONS, AND SUNGLASSES ARE NOT USED TO CONCEAL DRUG USE. Visine is.

I suggest we try to handle this issue as clear-headed, non-extremist members of today's society. The recent restrictions being placed upon our freedom to express ourselves as individuals are damaging and unnecessary. Oh, and look up the McCarthy thing too if you don’t get it. W. has us thinking about terrorists quite a bit like McCarthy had us thinking about communists. You’d think we’d learn. Just remember: what I said in this document will be taught in history classes fifty years from now.