Bracelets Banned

       "I heart boobies," the slogan found on bracelets given to people to increase breast cancer awareness. For the past year or so you may have seen these bracelets on many young people in different bright colors. Prairie Du Chien school district has banned these bracelets because they are "inappropriate in a middle school setting."

        Although the bracelets are banned in their school district, it is not going over well with some students. Cassie Becwar, a 8th grader at Bluff View Intermediate school in Prairie Du Chien has started a petition with her mom to take the issue to the school board. Even though the LaCrosse school district says the bracelets aren't a big enough issue yet to address, it may in the future. I think that the bracelets being an issue at all is surprising.

        I believe what Cassie and her mom are doing is a great thing because its young people taking a stand for something, and a stand for something good. The school district allows the bracelets at the high school but not the middle school. "In the middle school we ask the kids to take them off, we take them for the remainder of the day. If they want them back they can get them back at the end of the day," says Drew Johnson who is the superintendent of Prairie Du Chien schools. Honestly, I don't see the big deal for middle schoolers wearing the bracelets. Middle school is a time for growing up, maturing, and building skills, and if the kids understand what the bracelets are meant to represent then yes, they should be able to wear them.

        Although the bracelets are purposefully designed to target young people, they are still a representation for breast cancer awareness. Shouldn't we be happy that young people are involved and showing support? What are the bracelet's doing that is so harmful? If the student makes it as joke then in my opinion, so what? Let them be the immature ones but remember that they aren't a joke to every student. There could be a student in that school with a mother or family member suffering from breast cancer but the school says no, they can't wear it because they think it's "inappropriate."

         I believe that if a teacher really has a problem with the bracelet then they should simply ask the student to take it off. Once the student leaves the class though, they should be able to put it back on and continue their support. Johnson also says "At a pro football game or college game there are things you see and hear that would totally not be appropriate in a high school and especially not in a middle school setting. We draw the lines at certain different levels." I think Mr. Johnson is underestimating his students and, what does football have to do with supporting something as major as breast cancer?  A also think that the schools are assuming the middle schoolers can't handle and aren't mature enough for the bracelets. Well, the students probably wouldn't wear the bracelets unless they didn't understand what they are for and are representing, their obviously mature enough to understand that.

        The bracelets are meant to increase breast cancer awareness and are simply a way for young people to show it. I don't believe they are doing any harm and Cassie and her mother should follow through with their petition. "I heart boobies" on a bracelet meant to support breast cancer should not be an issue.