'A lot of kids don't want to do pink ribbons,' nonprofit says
Article Source: msnbc.com
from:msnbc.comSchools ban 'boobies' cancer bracelet
Seeded on Fri Oct 15, 2010 7:59 AM EDT (msnbc.com)
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what's wrong with a bird with blue feet?
Lets have a "show your tits for breast cancer" day! Yea I'm being a guy but it's still a good idea.
Pervert
Look, let's just be real here: guys (straight guys at least) like boobies, and if they want to keep as many boobies around as possible, they need to contribute to protecting them, by contributing to breast cancer research. This marketing strategy is great & gets right to the heart of the matter. My son's high school (in the bible belt no less) is allowing these bracelets & in fact, the cheerleaders & female water "boys" for the football team all wore t-shirts that said the same thing at a football game a couple of weeks ago. They are working on raising money & trying to raise awareness.
I think the "adults" (and I use that term loosely) really need to get over it. I am a 58 year old breast cancer survivor. Last year at this time I was having my first chemo session. My last one was February 2nd and I'm slowly but surely recovering from the operations, radiation and chemo. My doctors tell me that it'll take about two years from the time I was diagnosed (late March 2009) to feel pretty much like I did before (apparently, you NEVER feel the same, ie, tiredness and such). This has been very difficult on my whole family, not just me. Anything that brings public awareness to this issue has my full support. Maybe a teenager wearing a bracelet like that would encourage/remind his mom or other female family members to regularly check herself/themselves for lumps. You have to use what will work and I can understand kids not wanting to wear pink ribbons. Heck, I'd rather have the bracelet than wear pink ribbons!
Agree with you. So glad things are and have worked well for you. I wish you continued health.
This is stupid. How can you teach kids about breast cancer if you are making the very subject of breasts taboo? Answer: you can't.
Obviously this is something that needs to be taught in an age-appropriate manner, but my mother got breast cancer when I was 11.
They are a body part. Deal with it.
Boobies. Tatas. Udders. Gazongas. Cake. Motorboat land. Boulders. Hooters. Chachingas. Forty longs. Bra fillers. Madonna Cones. Breasts. Keep the list going. If saying anyone of these words at any time in any place will help raise and promote awareness and help find the cure for this terrible curse of cancer, then we all need to be saying them. Day, night, school, church, bedroom, bathroom, boardroom--I don't care. Making them a dirty word doesn't make CANCER go away. Whispering it doesn't promote discussion.
Little boys might start talking about the girl in the fourth grade who is already wearing a bra. And what's that all about, and if SCHOOLS, ADULTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS and ADMINSTRATORS had a wit of sense about them, they would discuss (promote discussion!!!) physiology, biology, hormones and diseases, and how it affects ALL of us. And yes, that little girl might get breast cancer someday. (Heaven forbid, but still it could happen.) We need to grow up and get over dirty little secrets in dirty little minds.
In the case of the young man , would the school have preferred that he wore one that says I (heart) testicles in support of his father? Or how abut Keep a Breast?
Good idea, Night Hawk. I think bringing awareness and donating to any form of cancer is great. It's a terrible disease no matter what part of your body it strikes (my aunt died of pancreatic cancer a few years ago). I've been living in The Netherlands for the past 3-1/2 years and breast cancer and other cancers are just as prevalent here as it is in the US.
Ah, nothing like conservative elders overreacting to a young generation fad. So boobies is inappropriate now I guess? Perhaps it should say, "I (heart) tits" or "I (heart) big jugs".
I think the true boobies are the boobs banning this.
Seems to me that school administrators are overreacting. Having said that it might be appropriate to ask a student why he/she is wearing the bracelet to be sure that they understand that the bracelet refers to breast cancer.
I think if kids are getting involved in a good cause, raising both money and awareness then it should be encouraged. Really? Boobies is a bad word? Says who? I think schools have more to worry about than "boobies". Just WTF?
Boy how dumb with the stuff that is in todays movies and on TV they think a bracelet with boobies on it is inaproropate. They worry about the small BS so what some parent or school adminstrator don't like it . What is the country coming to and what did these grownups have when they were growing up???? Use a little comman sense they are just like our countries leaders they worry about offending someone Think again and offend maybe it will bring the United States back with a government by the people and for the people.....
i feel like US public schools all over the country are like mini communist governments wishing they could control the lives of students LOL.
Come on people, GET OVER IT! This is the year 2010, are we as Americans that prude that the word boobies can start a national ban of fund raising trinkets? The political correctness push to ‘not offend’ is getting out of hand. One of my favorite movie quotes fits in well for all the people losing their minds over this “Relax Francis”.
I don't think the many women who have reconstructive surgery after a mastectomy would think that "I love boobies" "trivializes the issue."
'I heart boobies' is such a terrible devil's phrase? Well, I just saw three cars with magnets that said 'SAVE THE TATAS.' Would they prefer that one instead?
I admit it's a little naughty, but it hurts no one and it's for a good cause. If it gets someone's attention and spreads awareness, then great. Just don't act like a little bracelet that says boobies is somehow worse than the fact that so many people are suffering from something that's trying to kill them, worse than the pain and disfiguring, as well as what their families have to go through.
Come on people! Boobies is an inappropriate word for school. Frankly, the bracelets are tacky! If he wants to promote breast cancer awareness, there are other bracelets or ribbons he could wear. If you think he wasn't doing this for shock value, then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you!!!
We all claim to want better schools, but we don't support school administrators when they try to maintain discipline. It's no wonder schools are in trouble, and teens defy school administration.
Shock value? I will tell you this; the shock is that you don't understand at all the value of these bracelets. It brings a very prevelant problem to the fore, and it's making kids aware of the problem at an earlier age. Maybe those administrators need to spend a lengthy time in the "boobie hatch".
Narrow minded people like you scare the hell out of me. Grow up and join the human race in the 21st century.
You know what scares the hell out of me? Adults who still think like teenagers. It's the job of a teenager to push the boundaries and challenge authority. It's the job of parents and adults to say these are the rules and deal with it. Wonder why are kids are brats? Look in the mirror!!!
And PLEASE give me a break about the "social value" of these bracelets. If you think the average teen boy will wear it to raise breast cancer awareness, then, well, you're stupid. Period.
If raising awareness was the issue, then he could have switched to a pink ribbon. He didn't.
While I appreciate your comments and I can somewhat agree that as adults, we must maintain a certain decourm of civilty. However, there comes a time when we as adults need to ask ourselves..."Is this really worth it". Most of these schools are facing budget cuts, larger classroom sizes, major discipline problems among students, etc. Are we really making a national issue over some kid wanting to wear a little bracelet with the word boobies on it? Really? Half of my son's school couldn't pass a basic state test!! They can barely read!!!! Please get off of your moral soapbox and focus on issues that will actually contribute to raising kids that can enter the workforce and correctly spell their name! I hardly think boobies will contribute to the demise of civilization...I have them and I think they are pretty great!
I think banning bracelets over "boobies" is creating a problem rather than solving it. Seriously, is this really something the school admins need to worry about? Focus on dropout rates, teenage pregnancy, depression and suicide, gang violence, or any of the REAL problems teenagers face. Micro-management just annoys and frustrates students, making them more likely to act out.
Work on the big stuff, and the small stuff will take care of itself.
I'm one of those "bad" parents. I started talking to my daughter about her body when she was five. I have never used euphamisms to describe body parts. I didn't tell either of my children they couldn't use certain words because they were "bad". Both my daughter, who is 17 and my son, who is 6, are polite and respectful. My daughter has the "I heart boobies" bracelet, her father bought it for her. When someone comments on it, she tells them why she bought it and what the proceeds go to. Are there jokes? Sure there are. My husband said "Well, who doesn't love boobies?" when he first saw it. But there's nothing wrong with that, humor can often be a way to ease into a subject that is serious. My six year old son has a bracelet as well. He doesn't wear it to school, but we did talk to him about what "boobies" reffered to and what the bracelet was meant to support. He asked questions and when we finished talking, he nodded at me and said, "It's good to help people who are sick mom, we should buy another one."
When we try to sanitize the world our children live in because something makes us uncomfortable, we are doing them a huge disservice. The world isn't a clean place, it isn't even a friendly place most of the time. By being open and frank with our children, we can help them learn to express themselves and their opinions in a positive manner and make them better members of society. Instead of telling our children "boobies" is a bad word, or an offensive word, we should be talking to them about what the bracelet is meant to support and helping them understand how the humor can be a gateway to more serious disscussion. When we react without overreacting, we show our children that it is all right to think outside the box and we can actually help them learn to be respectful.
It sounds like another move to dumb down our children. the less they know about anything the less they will think on their own making it easier to control the masses.
I guess I better remove my I LOVE BOOTIE band for supporting the elimnation of Colrectol cancer
As a 40 year teacher I KNOW school administrators have no humor or common sense. They hate student free speech.
Perhaps the administrator's association spokesperson should change the initial letter in her name to "T" to commemorate this high point in admin. absurdity.
Oh, and one more thing....I suppose all of you would be in favor of teen girls wearing "I heart balls" bracelets to promote testicular cancer awareness too.
Grow up.
You tell us to grow up? Really? You seem to be the one with a problem. If it offends you, don't buy it. If you don't want your children wearing them, then don't let them. But do not think to tell me what I should and shouldn't allow my children to do, or the lessons they can learn through what methods. And I would let my children buy and wear a bracelet that said "I heart balls" in support of testicular cancer research. I would also follow through with the same conversation we had about the "I heart boobies" bracelet. I also support AIDS awareness, gay rights awareness and many other things that other people, often with the same opinions you show, find "offensive".
The world is full of things we may not personally like, but it's narrow, closed minds like yours that allow an attitude of fear, hatred and disrespect to grow and thrive, not the other way around. My children will grow into adulthood understanding that not everyone shares their view of the world, but knowing that they should be respectful of those opinions. How about your children?
I'm an American living in El Salvador. Women here wear comfortable low-cut blouses that expose more cleavage than you'll see even in Los Angeles. They nurse their babies on the bus, in the market place, or on the street and I'm probably the only one who notices. Why? Because I was taught as a child that certain body parts should remained covered and not talked about. What stupidity! Of course, I was never given a reason. There was none. Just another old-wives' tale handed down.
Over time, seeing breasts neither maintain my focus for a cheap thrill, nor do I feel I have to avert my eyes for fear of being labeled a pervert. I've sat chatting with a mother in her home and when she had to nurse her child she neither covered her breast nor did any of her body language indicate discomfort or seduction. It was I who felt uncomfortable and not sure if or how to react. With time, I've gotten over it.
The words "boobs" or "boobies" are as common now as "titties" or "tits" when I was a lad. There is nothing vulgar or demeaning in their use.
School administrators have better things to do than to maintain the prudish and immature beliefs of some adults locked in Victorian mores.
OMG people ...REALLY???? This is a serious problem!!! I think it's the adults here that need to get there flipping minds out the gutter!!!!! I have lost 2 friends to this monster and 1 still hanging on!!!! I say what ever it takes to wipe it out GO FOR IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! REALLY?????
Good idea...NOT!!! Lets teach our kids that someones elses morals are more important than supporting a great cause. It is no wonder our country is collapsing, our school system is completely failing us. Maybe a bracelet that says I (heart) titties would be better? Or I (heart) teets, or I (heart) udders, which is what they teach kids to call animal tits.
With the times, did taste, judgment and wisdom go out the window. Yes its a noble cause, but come on.... School is not the appropriate venue for this. Why couldn't the organizers come up with unisex bracelet for example...dark blue band with subtle pink ribbons....for guys to feel comfortable. Its easy to think of more unisex bands. I have 2 sons in high school and hearing the events of the day and experiencing it for myself, the sexual innuendos that would be exchanged amongst students would be endless.
Sure, there are going to be jokes. But if your child has one of these bracelets, or a friend of theirs does, don't you think that provides a great opportunity for you, as a parent, to open a discussion about the serious nature of the cause the bracelets are meant to support?
When, exactly, does it become okay for our young people to express themselves? When they turn 18 do you think they magically become more mature? Maturity is learned, and often it is taught through the example of parents. Is a tiny plastic bracelet with the word "boobies" on it really such an issue that it needs to be banned?
First off we are not a little Jewish woman who, when talking about a disease, whispers it like it is a curse. <Breast cancer> G-d forbid. Second, Breast Cancer awareness is so big they have their own month. There is never moment that one does not hear about Breast Cancer. Third, your doctor, will know when you should start checking for Breast Cancer and remind you and teach you how to do self breast exams. So, here is a challenge, Find one person, from young adult to older adult, who does not know what breast cancer is?