by Frank Schroth
Students at Milton High School sought permission from the administration to wear hoodies yesterday to demonstrate their concern over the Trayvon Martin incident. Though a respectful and, we suspect, healthy dialogue took place between the students and the administration, permission was denied.
Boston.com – Your Town Milton reported that some students, not part of the initial organizing group, had planned to attend school, hoodies up, despite the lack of permission. This did not happen. All students abided by the dress code and in doing so perhaps are the ones who did the teaching.
As Your Town Milton reports in a follow-up Mr. Arangio, principal of Milton High School said:
We haven’t had any problems, no one has had to discipline anyone, and nobody has worn a hood that I’ve seen . . . We want them to look at all sides and recognize ways this can be done that is relative to what’s being taught in the classroom, not just a knee-jerk reaction to something that’s happened.
The “something” in this case is the shooting of an unarmed 17-year-old by an armed neighborhood watch resident. No arrest was made due to Florida’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law. A special prosecutor has been appointed and will determine if charges are to be filed. The individual killed. Trayvon Martin was black and wearing a hoodie.
The peaceful protest would have been just one of many that took place yesterday across the country. Does such a protest which sought to make a statement and demonstrate solidarity among the participating students constitute a “kneejerk reaction”? We don’t think so. The event occurred on February 26th. Whether you agree or not, this “reaction” is a deliberate and conscious response to what they perceive as a failure of the authroties to take appropriate action.
The meetings between staff and students are ongoing; however, the respectful request to express a point of view, albeit strongly and in violation of the rules, should have been granted. Our country has a proud tradition of peaceful protest and the rights we all enjoy stem directly from those efforts. We should not cherry pick the occasions on which we wish to remember that. This was a teaching moment; but who did the teaching?
The administration could have bent without breaking. They could have exercised some temperance regarding the rules and tolerance for an opinion with which they may not agree. And in doing so shown a capacity for forbearance and could have sent a message to the students that while they disagreed they also respected the right of the students to speak. They did not. The students have done the listening, not the administration. The students have demonstrated a common strength of character and looked out for what was in the best interests of the school. Maybe the onlgiong dialogue will allow something to happen. An email to the Superintendent is pending a response. But each side has already made effective statements. For now it is the students who in tabling their protest and adhering to authority have exhibited the real leadership. The administration could have made a small sacrifice. They did not and the students did and in doing so taught a lesson.