Why is it that so many people want all kids in public schools to wear school uniforms?  I know many people believe that it would cut down on violence from jealous classmates but there are no credible statistics to support that idea.  What we should be concerned about is the problems we have in society and the inability of school systems to deal with behavior problems in an effective way.   To accept the idea, that the way students dress cause others to be violent, is like believing that if a girl dresses in a way that excites a boy he has the right to rape her.  It wouldn’t be her fault, the people who commit the violence are the ones who need their liberties reduced, not the victims.  Many school administrators want to take the easy way out and just have uniforms; what they should be doing is dealing with all violence in a preventive and effective manner.

When I was in school in the 1950’s Americans were afraid of communist threats from the Soviet Union and any ideas that related to that communist nation.  I remember how people felt it was just awful that mothers and fathers had to work and send their kids off to state provided day care.  Oddly enough one of the frequently heard “commie” no no’s was that they made all their kids in school dress alike in uniforms.  That appalled any good American.

On top of that, public school uniforms more than likely run contrary to the US Constitution.  The 1st Amendment guarantees freedom of expression. What a person wears is part of the way they express themselves.  Private schools can require uniforms because they set the requirements for attending a parent funded school.  Public schools have to accept every one; they can’t discriminate.  This includes requiring uniforms, unless they can prove it is needed for health or safety reasons.  This is why some people, with their own agendas, are trying to connect violence to what kids wear to school.  If they can prove that, then they can make all kids look the same, just like little Russian kids in the 1950’s. 

Americans are slow to really understand a problem before they react.  When they do react it is usually an over reaction with an unworkable solution.  Eventually they finally see the big picture and fix the problem. Eric Sevareid once said that most problems begin as a solution.  School uniforms are not a solution; think of the lawsuits that would be brought about by that policy.  I taught in public schools for 38 years and until I retired.  I saw a lot of disagreements between students during that time.  However, not one of the incidents over all those years was over clothing.  People who want school uniforms either don’t want to deal with the real causes of school problems and violence, or they might just be communists.

                                         Children in Restaurants 

Why is it, that more times than not, when I go into a restaurant there are parents who feel that going out to eat is a way they can share their children with other people?  It doesn’t seem to matter what type of restaurant it is either.  Perhaps they need to realize that the people they unleash their kids on feel that youngsters should be left home unless they are going to practice good table manners. 

More and more frequently these “little bundles of joy” have ruined my meals out.  Parents allow them to whine, shout, scream, cry, throw temper tantrums, and generally exhibit the characteristics of untrained primates.  They do not understand that other people don’t find their little gremlins to be cute as they throw and play with the food.  The rights of children end when they begin to interfere with other people’s rights.  People who buy a dinner in a restaurant have a right to eat their meals in peace. 

Maybe there should be a no children section in restaurants.  A sound proof room that would insulate them from those who would like a quiet dinner would help.   It could have a grate for a floor that would allow the food, the little munchkins drop accidentally and on purpose, to fall through to prevent people from slipping on it.  Just imagine how much effort it takes for the workers to clean up after them. On top of that many of the restaurants let kids eat free or at a reduced rate.  Perhaps they should only give them a break on the price if the children are well behaved. 

So, if you are going to take your kids out to eat, be respectful of others in the restaurant. Please realize they will be thinking awful things about you if your kids disturb their right to enjoy their meals.