KIDS KILL FOR CLOTHES
Baltimore-After months of hard work and scrimping, the mother of 15-year-old Michael Thomas bought him a $100.00 pair of Air Jordan basketball shoes. He wore them proudly to school the next day. But Thomas never came home from school. His status-symbol shoes attracted 17-year- old James David Martin, who allegedly murdered Thomas, stole his Air Jordans and left his body in a field. For the Baltimore school system, Thomas’ death was the breaking point. He’s the third youngster to be killed for his clothes in five years. Scores of others have been robbed of name-brand sneakers, designer jogging suits, leather jackets and jewelry. So, the school board instituted an exclusionary dress code. Devised by parents, students and educators, it prohibits leather skirts and jackets, jogging suits, gold chains and other expensive items. The obsession with clothing, say those who study it, is fueled by the visual media and advertising, nurtured by over-indulgent parents and reinforced by youthful peer pressure.…
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