School Suspends Teens For Wearing Crucifixes

by Staff - February 25th, 2008 - Associated Press (Fox News)

A pair of Albany teenagers suspended for "gang-related behavior" because they were wearing crucifixes say they were only wearing gifts from their mothers.

Jaime Salazar, 14, his friend Marco Castro, 16, were suspended from South Albany High School recently after they refused to put away the crucifixes they were wearing around their necks.

Salazar said Principal Chris Equinoa saw his necklace and told him to put it away. "I was like, why?" Salazar said. "He says it's related to gangs."

Salazar said he argued and was sent to the office. Instead, he went home. Later, he received a note saying he had been suspended for five days for "defiance and gang-related behavior."

When you start to regulate speech, you lose the ability to maintain a free society. We would not have a problem with gang activity if we did not have a court system that has so sided with criminals that you can't remove criminals from society. They are returned again and again to prey on society. I don't believe, or care, if gangs are using Christian symbols for gang activity. I do care that bureacrats are trying to defend themselves from gangs and claim the right to stop me from wearing a crucifixe whether I am in a gang or not. That limits free speech.

There are intelligent ways to cope with this . . . unless of course you live in a society that is dominated by "the rule of judges". It is impossible to make sane laws or rules when the judges are insane.