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Sweatshirt Gets Students in Hot Water
The destruction of the World Trade Center and other attacks of September 11, 2001 have got to be some of the most horrendous acts of senseless violence ever to take place in the United States. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would paint those cowardly acts as honorable or noble. And yet, some high school students in Michigan — identified as Arab-Americans, no less — have been accused of doing just that.
Over the winter break, a group of 15 Arab-American Juniors at Edsel Ford High School in Dearborn, Michigan had sweatshirts made featuring the number 11 (they are the class of 2011), the school’s mascot (a Thunderbird), and the phrase “You can’t bring us down” on the back. The problem arises because the number 11 appears to have windows making it look much like the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the Thunderbird is flying directly towards the numbers. All in all, it certainly could be interpreted as depicting the attacks of 9/11 and even showing support for them.
In a statement on the school’s website, the principal wrote that “we noticed a group of male students wearing black sweatshirts (hoodies) with wordings on the front and back.” The sweatshirts were confiscated and the students were dealt with. “After talking with the students,” said Principal Hassane Jaafar, “it became clear that there were no intentions of harm rather a very inappropriate and distasteful attempt to draw attention to themselves and to the class of 2011.”
Of course, right-wing racists are going bonkers over this, spewing hate and racial slurs all over the place. I’m not so sure that’s warranted, however. I know that when I was a teenager, I did a lot of stuff that, in hindsight, wasn’t wise or appropriate or even in good taste — although I certainly thought I was being pretty funny and clever at the time. So while I certainly agree that this was in poor taste and a bad idea all around, I think, as a school spokesman said, the students “just were not thinking.”
Photo: Click on Detroit/WDIV 4
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21 Comments
PlumbLucky commented on Jan 07 10 at 12:59 pmPoor taste but they are teens. And being that Dearborn is one of the higher concentrations of Muslims in the state, is it possible that they had a different meaning than the one that the hate-spewers are attributing to them? One that says that the attack and subsequent racism towards Muslims that they may have experienced themselves or seen amongst their family and friends, will not bring them down?
Or they may just be dumb teenagers. Take your pick.
GP commented on Jan 07 10 at 1:02 pmIt seems more like the message is saying the act of terrorism won’t bring them down. Leave the kids alone!
Bekka commented on Jan 07 10 at 1:32 pmI also first read the image as being about how terrorism couldn’t bring them down. I think the fact that the kids in question were arab-americans clearly distorted the picture – if these had been white christian kids, would anyone have thought it showed support for the terrorists?
GP commented on Jan 07 10 at 1:44 pmI honestly don’t see how this could be interpreted as “supporting” the 911 attacks…
PlumbLucky commented on Jan 07 10 at 2:36 pmEspecially as today’s HS senior was at best, nine years old, when the attacks happened. I live not far from Dearborn, spend a decent amount of time there, and have never heard word one in support of the attacks. I have heard nothing but negative towards the attacks, terrorism, etc.
Laure68 commented on Jan 07 10 at 4:12 pmI had the same reaction as GP – that the message is that the terrorists won’t bring them down.
Lisa commented on Jan 07 10 at 7:29 pmFolks, there are large swaths of Arab Americans who DO support 9/11, who DO support Hamas and Hezbollah and who DO support Al Qaeda. Many of them live in Dearborn.
Why on Earth would any kid make their graduation year with WINDOWS and put a bird of prey flying into it? Why would Arab American kids who you would think would be sensitive to this unless they meant it?
Especially after the latest terror attempt involving planes involved their home city?
This was deliberate.
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Jan 07 10 at 7:58 pmI suspect that there are larger swaths of the ignorant who believe anything negative that can be conjured up regarding anyone they suspect might be Muslim.
Lisa commented on Jan 07 10 at 9:46 pmMistress_Scorpio, I suspect that there are larger swaths of the foolish who are so afraid of stereotyping that they ignore a HUGE problem in the Islamic community. I live close to Dearborn. We have restaurants here which proudly hang Hamas banners and play Hamas music; others whose owners have been indicted for funneling money to Hezbollah. There are MANY in this community with ties to terrorism.
And how about we consider this? Perhaps the reason people link Islam with terrorism is because there is a link between Islam and terrorism. Did you honestly think when you first heard about the Christmas bomber that this was a Jew or Christian or whitey? No, you knew it was a Muslim.
But hey, let’s keep pretending all religions are equal even though Islam thinks its okay to stone people, treats women like property, punishes women for being raped, marries off little girls to grown men, and supports killing those who convert away from Islam or not Muslims. Yep. Just like all other religions, right?
But those dirty right wingers… they’re the real problem. How dare they have conservative values?
Samuel commented on Jan 08 10 at 2:43 amI don’t care what religion you are or where you come from. In striving towards egalitarianism, free speech should never be restricted. The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights cannot be silenced.
Rick Sparks commented on Jan 08 10 at 3:41 amUmtil a “god” is proven to be real, any actions taken on such a being’s behalf are 100% attributed to the delusional fools enacting the.
PlumbLucky commented on Jan 08 10 at 9:02 amEdsel Ford HS’s mascot is a thunderbird. Hence the bird of prey.
Amanda B. commented on Jan 08 10 at 11:17 amThe bog that the author links to in this post is reactionary and over the top. But make sure to read the comments posted on the website of the “right-wing racist” who is “spewing hate and racial slurs” and they make her comments seem benign. Racism isn’t a “right-wing” phenomenon. If you read the comments, it seems that people on the left and those belonging to ethnic minorities are prefectly capable of racism too.
Amanda B. commented on Jan 08 10 at 11:18 amoops *blog
Amanda B. commented on Jan 08 10 at 11:22 amBekka said- “if these had been white christian kids, would anyone have thought it showed support for the terrorists?”
Maybe if white Christians had a track record of blowing up planes and committing other acts of terror around the world in the name of their religion. But that’s not currently the case, now is it?
Andrea commented on Jan 08 10 at 11:47 amAmanda, I’d be real careful about suggesting people judge Christians individually on the actions of other Christians. Real good and careful.
In any case, there are very few Muslim terrorists relative to the number of Muslims. It’s a small enough ratio that I think it’s really unfair to suggest that Muslim teens have a “track record” of that behavior. We could just as easily say that white Christians have a track record of murdering doctors.
Lisa commented on Jan 08 10 at 11:54 amAndrea,
What’s the ratio of Muslim suicide bombers to non-Muslim suicide bombers?
Eric commented on Jan 08 10 at 1:29 pmThis is absolutely beyond stupid. Who would make that shirt? I don’t think it celebrates terrorism, or at least I don’t see any evidence that it does so. Who would find the shirt acceptable though?
Mistress_Scorpio commented on Jan 08 10 at 3:20 pmLisa, what’s the ratio of Christian holy men diddling children vs. Muslim holy men diddling children? See, I can play that game too. And when I hear of acts of terrorism, I wait for them to roll the tape, because it could just as easily be another Timothy McVeigh. Amanda B., if you have no clue of the history of atrocities committed in the name of Christianity, you’re beyond addressing further.
Amanda B. commented on Jan 08 10 at 4:04 pmAndrea & Mistress_Scorpio – Right now, at this point in history, it is safe to say that although a vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists and don’t support terror, almost all of the people committing violence in the name of religion against Western targets are Muslims. There is no getting around that. Christians, Jews, Hindus, or members of any other large religious group are not routinely signing up to be suicide bombers, last time I checked.
But Mistress_Scorpio, if I’m “beyond addressing further” by someone as naive to the realities of the current war being waged against us as you seem to be, that’s ok by me. : )
Lisa commented on Jan 08 10 at 5:57 pmMistress Scorpio,
How many of those Muslim holy men are married to 8 year old girls? Pedophilia is a pretty serious problem in Islam too, Glad you mentioned it.
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