Pornographic Prom Dresses?

Several girls were turned away from a prom in the Jefferson Parish school district in Louisiana. From the Times-Picayune:

Many West Bank families were fuming Saturday after a teacher refused to allow the girls into the prom because of alleged violations of the Jefferson Parish school system's dress code, most of them related to excessive display of cleavage.

"I was embarrassed," said Miranda Melerine, 17, a senior at the Marrero high school, who was among those barred by teacher Judy Gardner, an adviser to senior class activities. "We can't go back to prom night. Prom's over. Our prom has been stolen from us."

If this girl had her breasts hanging out, she should be embarrassed...but it doesn't sound like that's what she was embarrassed about.

Some tried the, "Gee I'm too blessed" excuse:

Earlis Fayette, 18, said his girlfriend also was sent away by Gardner at the door. "She said, 'No, her chest is too big and it (the dress) reveals too much," said Fayette, adding he was offended by the terse exchange.

However, I'm with the principal and school spokesman:

Nowakowski, who said he had conferred with Higgins Principal Germaine Gilson and others, wasn't sympathetic to arguments that well-endowed girls find it harder to meet the district's standards.

"They do make extra material for dresses for large-breasted women," he said, adding that those who feared their dresses might not comply with the code could have brought the dress to school earlier and tried it on for Gardner. Seeing a dress in a picture and seeing it on the girl may lead to different conclusions, he said.

I'm not aware of any thread shortages in this or any other country, so I don't see why these girls couldn't have bought dresses that covered their bodies.

My biggest question is this: where were the parents when these girls bought their dresses and put them on to go to the prom? I guess they either weren't there, in which case they were derelict in their parental duties. Or they were there and gave approval to these revealing dresses--in which case they were derelict in their parental duties. Either way, these parents were AWOL from being parents.

Is the job of a parent to teach their children right from wrong and protect them from harm, or is it to help their daughters get laid? That frank language may offend you, but I believe couching it in more "uptown" language would belay the seriousness of this.

If you advertise a good or service, pretty soon you're going to have customers showing up wanting some. And it's a simple fact of life that males are visually stimulated, far more even than girls are. Young ladies: if you're showing it off, the boys think it's up for grabs--literally. Parents: if you don't know this, you should--if they aren't offering it, they shouldn't be advertising it.

I frequently see young girls with painted-on shirts (the part that does cover them--many don't even cover the belly), dresses that are painted-on, and skirts that show way too much. Often, these girls are in the company of their parents when dressed like this. I don't blame the kids; I blame the parents.

Parents, if you value your daughter's well-being (and that involves sexual purity), teach her to dress modestly, and enforce it. There are also parents of boys who would appreciate your help in not getting their sons worked up and ruining their sexual purity, too.

A parent's job isn't to be their child's buddy; it's to protect them and teach them the right way to live.

Kudos to the school officials for doing the job the parents should have.