Patriotic Yearbook Photo Refused In New Hampshire
8 comments so far (is that a lot?)
Written by ParcLIVE! on November 5, 2009
Sometimes, things just make you angry and you want to yell “What. The. HELL!?”.
At Merrimack Valley High School in New Hampshire, the high school administration is refusing to let a high school senior use a photo for the yearbook where he is wearing his military hat and standing in front of an American Flag.
At Merrimack Valley High, the yearbook policy prohibits photos like the one Jordan Westgate submitted. He’s wearing his army combat hat, and he’s standing in front of the American flag. What’s the problem? asks Jordan, a senior who completed the Army’s basic training last summer.
He’s showing no disrespect. No disrespect at all. No hats and no props? Well, okay, for the most part. But shouldn’t exceptions be made, especially these days, when we’re fighting two wars simultaneously?
In fact Westgate, who will become a full-time soldier after graduation, believes he’s showing more respect than anyone else in his class.
Where’s the beef?
“I think it’s disrespectful to disassemble the uniform,” says Westgate, sitting in his kitchen with his stepmother, Dee, nearby. “It’s disrespectful to the men and women who have fought and died before me.”
Jordan and Dee want the issue in the open. They feel passionate about their cause. The MV administration, meanwhile, has dug in and stuck to the letter of its law.
The rule debuted four years ago, after students began submitting their own digitally snapped photos, often casual, posed, full-length and, the administration believed, inappropriate for the formal flavor sought in the student’s portrait section.
Therein lies the seeds of our feud. It’s lasted the better part of two months. Jordan will have his yearbook photo taken by a fellow student and her digital camera, but the residual effects linger with the family.
It certainly didn’t help when Dee, anticipating a fight and searching for ammunition, found a picture of a Muslim girl who covered her head with a traditional scarf in the 2007 yearbook’s junior class section.
Dee quickly slid the little photo of the Muslim girl across the kitchen counter to bolster her case.
“We feel we’re being discriminated against for being in the military,” Dee said. “She had to wear something as part of her religion. What’s the difference?”
Read more. This is preposterous.
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Filed Under: ParcLIVE!
Tags: high school, merrimack valley high school, Military, new hampshire, patriotism, yearbook photo
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Comments (8)
Michelle
November 5th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Not surprising that a bureaucratic school administration would sacrifice patriotism and common sense for the sake of formatting a student yearbook section to how they see fit. Mindless.
Robbie G.
November 5th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Wow… he should be able to show his patriotism and respect for our country, if that is what he chooses to do. I don't think any school has the right to take our patriotic feelings away from us. I understand the desire for uniformity but he isn't doing anything disrespectful in the photo and thus it should be included.
Adam
November 5th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Pretty much a perfect example of everything that's wrong with our education system.
Georgia
November 5th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I really don't understand how the school's administration seems to think that they have the authority to go over military tradition and tell a member of the armed forces he cannot wear his uniform in a photo.
If they need the photo to fit certain space requirements for the yearbook page, they can crop it. They don't need to waste time and money by referenecing and blindly enforcing some hypocritical school policy that mandates year book photos must be only a certain size, shape and form-especially after allowing a Muslim girl to wear a head covering in her photo years before.
Every student at that school should refuse to be part of that year book.
ARMYMOM
November 5th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
This is just plain stupid,i hope whoever made this decision sleeps well in their bed in the warmth of their home,but you need to remember one thing if it wasnt for the uinform and the flag and THE SOLIDERS THAT WEAR THE UINFORM AND WAVE THAT FLAG YOU MAY NOT HAVE THAT HOME AND THAT BED,YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF.
john k.
November 5th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
YEP! this is just asinine. What's next, getting rid of flags in school?
Lauren
November 5th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Certainly not reflective of our state's motto, "live free or die" I'm disgusted with whoever made this decision, as an Army wife who is incredibly proud of her husband's service, I am also incredibly proud of this young man's decision to serve his country, especially in times of war. I hope that this story really gets out there and that there will be decisions made accordingly so that this young man can represent his pride in his country!
Jeff
November 6th, 2009 at 3:20 am
Wow, I live here in NH, a career Navy man, I have not heard a word about this. Gotta love the liberal media huh? Where is Fox news on this?
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