A t-shirt created for students in Sedalia, Missouri, to promote the Smith-Cotton High School Tiger Pride Marching Band and “portray how brass instruments have evolved in music from the 1960s to modern day” has devolved into controversy due to the shirt’s allusion to evolution. Students were asked to turn the shirts back in after parents complained.
Choice quotes from the story published in the Sedalia Democrat:
- “I was disappointed with the image on the shirt.” [Band parent Sherry] Melby said. “I don’t think evolution should be associated with our school”
- High School junior Adam Tilley said he understood why the shirts were repossessed. “I can see where the parents are coming from,” he said. “Evolution has always been controversial.”
The issue has now attracted international attention and, as you might expect, some colorful reader comments.
In the follow up, the Sedalia Democrat reports that “not only has the public outcry over the T-shirts been a distraction to the students who are working so hard on their marching and music, but the school district has to eat the cost of the shirts, a total of $700.”
As a proud former member of a high school music ensemble myself, I feel for the kid victims in this story. But not to worry, the world now wants these shirts. Biggest band fund raiser ever?
(h/t Darcy James Argue for the link)
When I saw the title of this post in my RSS feed, I was like, shit. Most of my shirts are band shirts (Nada Surf, Jets to Brazil, and other early-decade indie favorites)!
Captcha: “Industry’s Coyne.” That’s a little harsh; the Flaming Lips are still too weird to have truly sold out.
Grow up parents. Have you not learned that the more you complain about something, the more the kids will want to find information!!!! The shirts were fine and you should not dictate what the kids who work hard can or cannot have to wear for their Marching Program. The shirts were fine.
Well as a brass player and former band member, maybe the controversy isn’t evolution, per se, but the fact that most brass players still drag their knuckles…
Just guessing that those who object to the evolution t-shirts also object to health care reform for very bad reasons.
I’d be curious to see how many of these parents that don’t “believe” in Evolution would opt for the standard tuberculosis drugs over the drug resistant type if ever infected – I mean if evolution doesn’t exist……
I cannot believe it has come to this. Not only are a alarmingly large portion of the citizens of my country really ignorant of a few basic facts, but now we just accept their idiocy as a given. No one bats an eye. It may finally be time to move from the “greatest country in the world.” Where people are free to be brainwashed fools. Literally brain washed. Empty headed twits.
All the other years it seemed like time to move (Reagan era, Helms era, Henry Hyde era, Bush 43 era, etc.) are now looking like a steady evolution to what we have today: a nation of fat ignoramuses sitting on their ass watching the same “reality” tv shows over and over with an occasional lapse into fox news. And the rest of us having to watch it in complete denial.
The other day some Texans said they wanted to secede from the US. Let them!
Governor Rick Perry’s remarks strike me as being indicative of a fiercely independent streak that runs in the blood of many Texas residents – both “liberal” and “conservative.” It’s a quality I truly respect as it inspires much of unique Texan and Mexican art, music, and cuisine I’ve come to know and love.
When you say “some Texans” you may be forgetting Doug Sahm, Lightning Hopkins, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Kinky Friedman, Molly Ivins, Albert Collins, Robert Wilson, etc. Are these the “some Texans” you’re hacked off at? Probably not, right? It’s “those Texans” but not “those other Texans.” Suddenly we sound very similar to someone screaming about “socialism” while waving an image of the President in Joker drag.
The parental reaction to the band T-Shirt is a shame. But Molly’s previous post that alluded to the four year anniversary of hurricane Katrina presents us with a much more complicated issue to wrap our heads around. Over the month of August leading up to the anniversary date, I was heartened to see so many great articles, op-ed pieces, and books that genuinely tried to present lessons we can learn from that tragedy. And the dialogue will continue, which for me if a hopeful thing.
I didn’t expect many if any people to comment on Molly’s post, only because she chose to link to an article that most New Orleaneans can’t bring themselves to read let alone non-Louisiana residents.
Off topic perhaps, but thanks for indulging…
“We”????
Is that the royal We?
When I say “some” texans, i mean exactly the ones that want to secede. And again I say, let them. I don’t favor simplistic arguments. That’s what I am speaking against! And do I have to state I am NOT against Lightning Hopkins or Molly Ivins? Or J.R. Ewing for that matter? Or that town where Giant or No Country for Old Men or the P.T. Anderson movie was shot. Was it Marfa? No I know Texas still has a few redeeming qualities.
No I am only in favor of evolution-denying knuckleheads leaving –if that’s what they want to do. And people who hate Obama. Or hate in general. Because I prefer to stay here.
And I hear Austin is nice.
The United States used to be a very literate place with lots of literate, well-informed people.
This story is about Missouri. I bet they still got nice stuff there too.
And this has nothing to do with anything but I saw it on a bumper sticker during the Bush years: “Yee Ha is not a foreign policy.”
All that’s come out of the parents protesting the shirts is a bill for $700 to the high school who ordered them. What’s the big deal?
Being anti-evolution is like being anti-electricity or anti-gravity. i am pro-gravity so everything seems grave to me.
Now THAT’S funny. I like your website by the way! People here should check it out.