Students, officials clash over shirt...School: 9/11 wear was a mistake

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by Ghostwriter

It does look like the Thunderbird is about to fly into the 1's or "buildings". At first I thought this was a stupid complaint but now I am not so sure. Maybe they accidentally made it look this way and did not mean it to look as it does. Interesting.

They didn't accidentally make it that way. One of the kids' apologies was this:

Another student told Local 4 the design was made out of frustration over some media portrayals of Arab-Americans in the wake of the Christmas day terror attack.

On a Channel 4 newscast, one kid's "apology" was this:

“I was foolish to do it and I’m very sorry,” said Wadhah Almadhagi, one of the students behind the sweatshirts. “I can promise that as long as I'm in Edsel Ford I'll do my best to ensure something like this, as foolish and naive as this, will never happen again.”

I like that he said "...as long as I'm in Edsel Ford...".

Another's apology on TV was, along the lines of, "If this were a white kid's shirt this wouldn't be happening". I can't find the exact text. I think, good intentions or not, people would get offended no matter who it was. However with the admittance of one of the students that it was made out of frustration, I honestly can't say that I think it was just a stupid teenage mistake. I think they are playing innocent so they don't get in any more trouble. As of right now, no other punishment has been given. I'm also surprised that with them being minors, their parents are allowing them to speak to the media.

Originally Posted by AGDee

This is a school that is probably around half Middle Eastern. I think the students meant it in a patriotic way from all the news coverage here on it, but others were disturbed at the reminder of 9/11 and utilizing this in that way. 9/11 had a huge impact on that community as did the resulting Iraq war. While they had good intentions, it was in poor taste. The article said they aren't being punished.

I think it's more than half now. Alot of East Dearborn residents are now moving to the west side because the east side is becoming more "Detroit". It's a shame because they have some beautiful houses over there that are being trashed now. And Dee, I had to laugh when they said they were made at Gibraltar Trade Center. I think any other shirtery place would raise eyebrows and ask if they were sure they wanted that. Anything goes at GTC lol.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

They didn't accidentally make it that way. One of the kids' apologies was this:



On a Channel 4 newscast, one kid's "apology" was this:



I like that he said "...as long as I'm in Edsel Ford...".

Another's apology on TV was, along the lines of, "If this were a white kid's shirt this wouldn't be happening". I can't find the exact text. I think, good intentions or not, people would get offended no matter who it was. However with the admittance of one of the students that it was made out of frustration, I honestly can't say that I think it was just a stupid teenage mistake. I think they are playing innocent so they don't get in any more trouble. As of right now, no other punishment has been given. I'm also surprised that with them being minors, their parents are allowing them to speak to the media.



I think it's more than half now. Alot of East Dearborn residents are now moving to the west side because the east side is becoming more "Detroit". It's a shame because they have some beautiful houses over there that are being trashed now. And Dee, I had to laugh when they said they were made at Gibraltar Trade Center. I think any other shirtery place would raise eyebrows and ask if they were sure they wanted that. Anything goes at GTC lol.

I almost said 80%, but I was thinking Fordson or Dearborn High, not Edsel. Even though there is continued migration to West Dearborn, I don't think it's quite that high yet.

I think these kids were making a statement, but I interpreted it as more of a positive statement, honestly. Even with the apologies you posted from wdiv, I saw it more like deepimpact did. To me, the statement "You can't bring us down" can be interpreted as "You can't bring the US down" (even though you can knock down some buildings, you won't bring US down as a country). They generalized that to the class of '11.

In my opinion, the real problem with it is that there are so many ways to interpret it. I can see someone else interpreting it as "The school can't bring the class of '11 down", as if the school itself is trying to do that.

Too vague, too ambiguous. The fact that it simply resulted in a "lecture" seems appropriate to me. My daughter is in the class of '12 (1 year younger than these kids) and she doesn't really grasp the impact that 9/11 had on us at the time, and still. 9/11 is a reality they grew up with, not the shocking event it was to us. This is their reality since they were only around 8 at the time. The Post 9/11 world is the only world they know and remember. If their parents are like me, they were largely shielded from some of the more horrific details of the event. It did largely affect the way the Middle Easterners were seen by the rest of the community and NOT in a good way.

And, you're right PM_Mama, GTC would make any shirt that someone wanted!

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

I think it's more than half now. Alot of East Dearborn residents are now moving to the west side because the east side is becoming more "Detroit". It's a shame because they have some beautiful houses over there that are being trashed now. And Dee, I had to laugh when they said they were made at Gibraltar Trade Center. I think any other shirtery place would raise eyebrows and ask if they were sure they wanted that. Anything goes at GTC lol.

This is probably what received the "o boy."

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

This is probably what received the "o boy."

Ahh ok let me elaborate.

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00
I think it's more than half now. Alot of East Dearborn residents are now moving to the west side because the east side is becoming more "Detroit". It's a shame because they have some beautiful houses over there that are being trashed now. And Dee, I had to laugh when they said they were made at Gibraltar Trade Center. I think any other shirtery place would raise eyebrows and ask if they were sure they wanted that. Anything goes at GTC lol.

East Dearborn is where many of the Arab immigrants live. West Dearborn and Dearborn Heights (which partially surrounds Dearborn) used to be predominately white. The houses in East Dearborn that are owned by the Arab Americans are beautiful and decorated and taken care of. Very few older generation white people still live in the neighborhood but it is still kept up. East Dearborn borders not a great area of Detroit. Those residents are starting to move into East Dearborn, and the Arab Americans are moving more into West Dearborn, making the Arab American population at Edsel Ford higher. Those moving to East Dearborn from Detroit don't keep up with the housing, therefore "trashing" the neighborhood.

And Gibraltar Trade Center is one of those weekend-only warehouse stores where you can buy anything you can think of... even get a tattoo or go to a carnival during the spring and summer.

DS if you don't understand something, then ask. Don't try to start shit.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

Ahh ok let me elaborate.

Don't bother. We know what you meant, but the tone at which you said it the first time is exactly how you meant it. Don't try to explain away your tone now.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

Ahh ok let me elaborate.



East Dearborn is where many of the Arab immigrants live. West Dearborn and Dearborn Heights (which partially surrounds Dearborn) used to be predominately white. The houses in East Dearborn that are owned by the Arab Americans are beautiful and decorated and taken care of. Very few older generation white people still live in the neighborhood but it is still kept up. East Dearborn borders not a great area of Detroit. Those residents are starting to move into East Dearborn, and the Arab Americans are moving more into West Dearborn, making the Arab American population at Edsel Ford higher. Those moving to East Dearborn from Detroit don't keep up with the housing, therefore "trashing" the neighborhood.

And Gibraltar Trade Center is one of those weekend-only warehouse stores where you can buy anything you can think of... even get a tattoo or go to a carnival during the spring and summer.

DS if you don't understand something, then ask. Don't try to start shit.

I understood and your past history speaks for itself.

Done.

Have a nice night.

[PM_Mama00]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

I understood and your past history speaks for itself.

Done.

Have a nice night.

No you didn't understood because you are thinking what you want instead of reading the facts. Dee even backed me up yet my facts mean nothing because I'm the token KKK girl in here, right?

[starang21]

Originally Posted by PM_Mama00

I'm the token KKK girl in here, right?

right.