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KKK Style Hat

#21
Phalex said:
I used to wear a hat just like that and sit on a stool in the corner of the classroom when I was about that age.
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That brings up another point. Even if it were not a fullsize mask, a half cone then looks like a dunce cap which would not go over well with many families also. That reinforces my point that the teacher should bear in mind that shapes can have meanings just like words.
 
#24
electracoyote said:
I certainly have.

I wouldn't in this case. Unless the kid wore a white gown, got on a horse with a shotgun, and rode through town threatening people and lighting crosses in their yards.

This is an innocent exercise in patterns, shapes, and colors, and I would be reluctant to make a young person feel self-conscious or guilty for chosing this shape innocently. As others have pointed out, this shape could be interpreted as many other things.

The kid is probably proud of his work. That's a positive experience for a kid. I don't see a cause to spoil it for him over a vague interpretation.

The association is a stretch and not entirely appropriate in this case.
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That is your opinion, but in a case like this, the opinion of the parents matter too. They clearly took offense, complained to the principal, and have withdrawn their child from the school.
All of that is more traumatic then the teacher simply guiding the child in another direction.
 
#25
electracoyote said:
This is an innocent exercise in patterns, shapes, and colors, and I would be reluctant to make a young person feel self-conscious or guilty for chosing this shape innocently. As others have pointed out, this shape could be interpreted as many other things.

The kid is probably proud of his work. That's a positive experience for a kid. I don't see a cause to spoil it for him over a vague interpretation.

The association is a stretch and not entirely appropriate in this case.
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This, right here. Again, Dr. Cheese is trying to stir the pot, it does get old.

Dr. Cheese, racism goes both ways. Some white people still need to change their views, sad fact world wide. On the other side of the coin, as long as African American folks keep trying to find racism in every little thing, it's never going to die. Does that make sense ?
 
#27
Dr. Cheese said:
That is your opinion, but in a case like this, the opinion of the parents matter too. They clearly took offense, complained to the principal, and have withdrawn their child from the school.
All of that is more traumatic then the teacher simply guiding the child in another direction.
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It is absolutely traumatic, and overkill in my opinion.

And how can a teacher guide a student away from something he doesn't see as a threat?
 
#28
Dr. Cheese said:
That is your opinion, but in a case like this, the opinion of the parents matter too. They clearly took offense, complained to the principal, and have withdrawn their child from the school.
All of that is more traumatic then the teacher simply guiding the child in another direction.
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The parents over reacted. The really sad part here is that now they are training the kid to play the role of a professional victim. Lawsuits will surely follow, if that's what the parents initial reaction was. Great life lesson for the kid. FAIL !
 
#30
Dr. Cheese said:
Would you except that reasoning for a Jewish child with a swastika? I would also say that a good teacher should have some sort of clue about what might culturally sensitive for his or her students and their families.
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A) Yes, if I believed the teacher was honestly trying to show how common the shape was in various parts of the world rather than trying to antagonize a small child or their family with Nazi symbolism. I suppose I'd have to meet the teacher involved, first.

B) I don't want my kid's art teacher "guiding" my child's art because of what they think I might find culturally insensitive. If I'm offended, I'll let them know, and possibly pull my child from the class if it's bad enough. Just like the parents did in this case.

My kids have already come home with ideas and things I don't like from the teachers at their school. It's my job as a parent to sort conflicts like that out with my kids. My influence as parent should outweigh a teacher's influence, either as a teacher or a potential bigot. I don't blame the parents in this story a bit for pulling their kid out of the school, but I would have handled it differently; some things are easier for kids to accept when they're older, and I suspect the six-year old is just confused as hell about the fuss his hat caused.
 
#32
Article said:
"My wife was fearful for my son just because of the symbolism that goes along with this," Barry Smith said.

....

. Still, Smith and his wife are moving their son to a school in Pittsburg, Kansas. They believe administrators in Fort Scott need sensitivity training.
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If the parents were so upset and fearful about the symbolism of their 6yo son wearing a hat that resembled a KKK hood - why did they let his picture get plastered all over the internet wearing the hood? I would imagine that photo is going to haunt the kid for a lot longer in life than if they'd kept that little gem of a photo private....

I mean seriously...how could you not use this at a 21st party or wedding:

hat_at_school_20101005214137_320_240.jpg
 
#33
Mark Latimour said:
If the parents were so upset and fearful about the symbolism of their 6yo son wearing a hat that resembled a KKK hood - why did they let his picture get plastered all over the internet wearing the hood? I would imagine that is going to haunt the kid for a lot longer in life than if they'd kept that little gem of a photo private....
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See the post above.

The parents got to express their deep-seated, complex, adult, socio-political fears and concerns, no matter how debatable they are, at the kid's expense.
 
#34
electracoyote said:
See the post above.

The parents got to express their deep-seated, complex, adult, socio-political fears and concerns, no matter how debatable they are, at the kid's expense.
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I think you are over thinking it. My gut feeling is that they saw a chance to get in the paper. Somone gave this story to the news, it was either the teacher, the school or the parents. I doubt it was either of the former. I do think the parents have a legitimate concern, I wouldn't want my kid wearing something that looked like a KKK hat in a region of the world where it carries those connotations. I don't think they dealt with it the best way though....
 
#35
Mark Latimour said:
I think you are over thinking it. My gut feeling is that they saw a chance to get in the paper. Somone gave this story to the news, it was either the teacher, the school or the parents. I doubt it was either of the former. I do think the parents have a legitimate concern, I wouldn't want my kid wearing something that looked like a KKK hat in a region of the world where it carries those connotations. I don't think they dealt with it the best way though....
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That's funny, that you think I'm over-thinking it. You're a step ahead of me with this post!

This could have been handled so much differently and sensitively, without all the sensationalism and potential trauma to the child.

The issue could have been discussed privately with the teacher, concerns raised. The situation could have been gently explained to the child that he did such a nice job on the first mask, they would like him to make another mask using a different shape. The hat in question could have been put aside and eventually made to just disappear. The teacher and administrators would learn how sensitive people can be and adjust the project in the future.

But that's not how it works today. Sensationalism rules. Wave your arms, make a stink, traumatize the kid, move him to another school, and alert the press to the social injustice at hand.

That's how it works today. Very progressive thinking.
 
#36
electracoyote said:
I certainly have.

I wouldn't in this case. Unless the kid wore a white gown, got on a horse with a shotgun, and rode through town threatening people and lighting crosses in their yards.

This is an innocent exercise in patterns, shapes, and colors, and I would be reluctant to make a young person feel self-conscious or guilty for chosing this shape innocently. As others have pointed out, this shape could be interpreted as many other things.

The kid is probably proud of his work. That's a positive experience for a kid. I don't see a cause to spoil it for him over a vague interpretation.

The association is a stretch and not entirely appropriate in this case.
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Absolutely.
 
#37
this picture made me think two things:

1 - looks like a KKK warrior who has just come back from a bloody battle

2 - Clayton Bigsby

But if I were the teacher, and the kid came up with it on his own and I didn't see much of an issue, I may have a big, fat eyeroll for the parents. Being a former teacher (OK....well, rollerskating instructor :P) I have seen my fair share of wild-eyed, arm-flailing parents who read the worst possible intentions into everything you say and do in their kids' general direction. On second thought, I may be relieved that I didn't have to deal with those parents, anymore.
 
#38
Meh.
Is the hat inappropriate? Maybe, depends on the intentions. Given the teacher's been doing this for 30 years and never had a problem, I'm gonna give him the benefit of the doubt and say no.
Did the parents overreact? Absolutely. Deal with this sort of thing privately with your kid, teacher, and principal; don't take it to the papers trying to whore your kid out for some attention and a law suit, which is almost certainly coming.
 
#39
personally, I feel that children are innocent and it's adults that put into their worlds the racial disharmony that WE feel and bs that we later go on to experience as adults. Sometimes I think that we can learn a little from their innocence and naivety.
 

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