What do you think of the bans on Breast Cancer awareness bracelets in school?

1. 68

   tallglassofsassposted 12 years ago

   What do you think of the bans on Breast Cancer awareness bracelets in school?
   
   Many students are being told to remove their "I heart boobies" bracelets for being inappropriate.  What do you think?  If you were a teacher would you ask students to remove them, and if you would, what would be the next step?

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2. 61

   FloraBreenRobisonposted 12 years ago

   I wasn't aware they were not allowed everywhere. It must depend on the specific school or state/province. I certainly wouldn't ask students to remove them if I were a teacher.

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3. 69

   fancifulashleyposted 12 years ago

   I think that schools are working against awareness in a way, but also promoting it, by banning the bracelets. By banning them they are bringing attention to the situation. If I was a teacher, I would not ask students to remove them. Children think differently than older generations do and if the bracelets are working on raising awareness with that generation, then I am all for it.

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4. 88

   ThePracticalMommyposted 12 years ago

   As a former middle school teacher, I can tell you that I witnessed plenty of young boys wearing the bracelets and laughing about it with their friends. Some were just not mature enough to wear them for awareness but were instead wearing them to get a good laugh out of their friends using the funny word.
   
   Next to my classroom was a veteran teacher who had a long struggle with breast cancer and a masectomy about ten years ago. She told me she was offended by the bracelets since they did not do anything but raise awareness for the debate of whether or not they should be allowed. She said the bracelets took away from the seriousness of the cause to try to raise money for a disease that was often deadly. Our district did 'ban' them for that reason, but allowed students to wear them inside out and they couldn't call attention to the saying inside.
   
   Our instructions were to give the students the opportunity to turn them inside out. If they didn't comply, we were not to argue but to send them to the principal to once again ask for compliance. We weren't taking away their right to wear them, but we wanted them to be respectful of a very serious cause.

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5. 83

   LearnFromMeposted 12 years ago

   I have noticed that middle school students do not take the awareness the bracelets are supposed to make seriously. I think if the bracelets were taken seriously, then they would be allowed. I think the schools are concerned with the possible distractions these particular bracelets have caused. Our school asks the students to be mature about them or they need to be removed.
   
   Our school does so much for Breast Cancer awareness. We have several faculty members who have been personally affected by breast cancer. We have several days a year where we teachers wear as much pink as we can and donate to the cause. We buy pins and other items to show our support. There are certainly other ways to show support than wearing those particular bracelets...

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6. 59

   shea duaneposted 12 years ago

   I would never ask a student to remove one of these bracelets. Awareness may be taking root even if a few kids are being silly. Young women's lives may be at stake, also. One of those silly moments might be a teachable moment in which a teacher could educate the children about breast cancer or cancers in general. Even a silly 8th grade boy has a mother.

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7. 76

   alphagirlposted 12 years ago

   I don't like that they are marketing to kids. I think kids have a enough to worry about. Kids at their age have so many things from the media coming at them, plus some girls in middle may not have boobs developed and that is a whole different ball game and the self esteem issues that arise.

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8. 61

   Jo_Goldsmith11posted 12 years ago

   Are you serious? I can only say that the teachers are very wrong to suggest or demand such a thing. Don't they realize that they are women! And these precious little ones are showing empathy and compassion for those who need all the love they can get to give them strength to endure. I don’t understand why we allow something that is good to be controlled by those who can only see darkness. I believe that those who condemn good will one day pray and beg for good to  come to them.
   I feel it is so very sad to hear that there is not a cause for this issue to be brought to light. It is very important to have the freedom to express support for those who have Cancer, AIDS, and all the other issues all of us will face one day, in one form or another.

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