So after the Jena six fiasco many people have been on edge about issues of race. There have been a few other issues that have to do with a noose that have been discussed on the news. One was at a college where a set up meant to promote tolerance was vandalized with a noose painted orange hanging on it. The other was when kids in the band were suspended for talking about a noose.
"There's apparently been some racial tension in the band at Lee's Summit West, specifically on the drum line. Students were talked to a couple weeks ago because both the black and white kids were using the "n word" and the band director told them to stop. But then talk about a noose landed a couple kids in big trouble.
Travis Grigsby loves playing drums, but he and his friend Alex Coday weren't able to play for two weeks after they were suspended. It started after the band's performance at a football game. Some kids on the drum line said they were talking about the best knots to use to tie up the drum equipment.
"Someone asked if anybody knew how to tie a noose and Travis did admit he knew how to tie a noose," Kim Grigsby said.
Travis' mom said her son is almost an Eagle Scout, he knew how to tie it, but told his friends he wouldn't because you could get in trouble for that. Later, a black student on the drum line told the teacher he was offended.
"Travis was accused of using a racial slur for saying the word 'noose.' Then he was suspended for 10 days," Kim said."
Now the in the Jena six incident and the incident at the college I can understand how people would be upset and offended however, when someone is suspended for saying noose, I believe that people have gone to far. People are trying so hard not to offend anyone that they are encroaching on free speech rights. Now I don't deny that the students were stupid to discuss the noose especially when racial tensions were high at their school, but they do not deserve to be suspended for it.
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I agree on your take of the whole incident. People are becoming way too sensitive nowadays and are thus propagating racial tensions within our society. The band-member who said the word noose definitely should not have been suspended because the context was not racial whatsoever. In fact, he even refused to tie the noose because he was able to apprehend that such an event would land him in trouble and be generally inappropriate. I have no clue where the school district gets off suspending a student for saying a five-letter word with absolutely no racial implications when spoken.
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