Why We Should Have Dress Codes

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Dress codes have been an integral part of life in public schools throughout history. Now they concern spaghetti straps and leggings, while in the 1940’s women were sent home for simply wearing pants. Dress codes have certainly become more lenient, but the question isn’t if they should be more restricted, but it’s whether the concept of a dress code in public schools violates student’s First Amendment rights to free speech. The answer to this highly debated question is yes, they most certainly do. As United States citizens, students should have the freedom to make choices regarding their clothing. Being a minor should not mean that your rights are different than that of any other American citizen. Some may argue that these restrictions are in place in order to guide students to make appropriate decisions. However, students have the right to make choices, regardless of the fact that they may make ones that may be considered inferior. In addition to this, guiding minors to make well-educated choices…show more content…
If you examine a dress code in any school handbook almost all of them apply to only women excluding few exceptions. For example. a third-grade girl in Colorado was suspended because she shaved her head in support of a friend who was diagnosed with cancer. The school stated that her bald head violated the dress code. However, boys of that age are permitted to get haircuts so short that they are practically bald. In addition to this, women's fashion is severely restricted by dress codes. Girls in middle and high school are being persecuted for showing their shoulders when it is over a hundred degrees in Georgia because it may be distracting. Instead of shaming these women for their bodies, especially their shoulders, they should educate boys of that age not to view women as sexual objects. Women should not have to sacrifice their right to wear a tank top because a man may become

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