Sky Crane: By banning colors, we’re giving in to domestic terrorists
Re “Gang colors limit dress codes” (Page 3A, Aug. 31): You can’t wear red, blue, Dodgers or Raiders gear or whatever fad gang-bangers adopt next week. Domestic terrorism wins! It’s amazing how we shake our fists and decry terrorism and the countries that support it, while bending over backwards to constrict our children’s choices to celebrate the rainbow and their favorite teams.
Growing up a second-generation Californian, I have watched gangs take away our rights to choose colors, teams, our neighborhoods and now our schools. We are teaching children to fight terrorism overseas, but live in fear of terrorism at home. Red and blue? Protestant Irish wear orange to attack the Catholics, who wear green to attack the Protestants. ISIL wears black. Soon, we will all be wearing grey – and we’ll deserve it!
It is the responsibility of our community leaders to protect the community and its children. It is their responsibility to hire and oversee peacekeepers who are actually keeping the peace. By restricting gang colors, you admit you’ve failed. If gang-bangers started wearing crucifixes and Jewish stars, would you ban them? We are teaching a generation to give in to bullies. Our kids deserve better.
Sky Crane, Sonora
This story was originally published September 2, 2015 at 11:34 AM with the headline "Sky Crane: By banning colors, we’re giving in to domestic terrorists."