Notes+ande+Sources

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In Detroit, a 15-year-old boy was shot for his $86 basketball shoes. In Fort Lauderdale, a 15-year-old student was robbed of his jewelry. In Oxon Hill, MD, a 17-year-old honor student was killed at a bus stop, caught in cross fire during the robbery of another student's designer jacket. Tragic news headlines are reminders that expensive, designer fashions have cost some students more than a few dollars. Many have paid with their lives. So, will school uniforms help curb student violence? From the surveys that I've looked at, I am inclined to believe that wearing uniforms makes quite a bit of difference in how people behave," said Dr. Wilson. I've read that violence has gone down in schools with dress codes, and I've been impressed by the difference. In those schools, wearing uniforms apparently worked in reducing violence.

[] Over the past five years, requiring students to wear khakis or Tartan plaid skirts has become almost as trendy as day-glo was in the 1980s. Urban schools across the United States have turned to uniforms to help combat gang colors and violence, inspire discipline, and reduce pressures on kids who can't afford the latest Abercrombie & Fitch fashions. But states like Connecticut, Florida, and Texas are seeing a growing backlash against the idea. Students and parents - especially in the suburbs - counter that uniform policies are unconstitutional and stifle self-expression, sparking debate over whether dressing students alike is helpful.

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I have noticed that more students are less focused on learning as the years go by. In nearly every country I have visited, students wear **//uniforms//**. I have observed how proud they are to wear them, too. Think of the pride of people who must wear **//uniforms//** for their professions: nurses, doctors, pilots, police officers, servicemen and women. If all of the parents who are against **//uniforms//** would take their children out of the public **//school//** system and home-**//school//** their kids, then the issue would be solved. They will be happy, and then teachers such as myself might have an easier time making our classes more conducive to developing the minds of our nation's youth.
 * //School//** **//uniforms//** can be a partial antidote to this.
 * //Uniforms//** identify children first and foremost as students.

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