Swords allowed in schools?

[Robby999 1,024]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/01/07/michigan-sikhs-want-religious-swords-school/?test=latestnews

[^_^ 5,021]

Another said, “If it’s somebody’s religion, I would wonder if there’s a reason or purpose for them to have to have it at school.”

I will get a few details slightly wrong so actual Sikhs should correct me but this is what I still remember from studying this stuff in school. When the Sikh religion was first invented (all religions are invented), it was essentially a martial faith created with the intention of protecting against Muslim aggression. That's what the swords were for. As time passed, the raison de etre of the faith diminished and today the swords vary in size - secularized Sikhs in modern urban India have small ornamental swords while I remember seeing orthodox Sikhs in a northern Punjab city who still carry around giant swords. Their religion does require them to carry it everywhere but in reality they are no longer allowed to carry it in many places in India - which is the country in which the religion originated. They seem to be waging a losing battle on this front in Canada and the U.S. too; I wonder why they bother. In this day and age Muslim aggression can't be warded off with a mere sword anyway

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Perhaps they got the idea from the fact that in Vancouver (birth-city of erstwhile governor Jennifer Granholm), Sikh community was able to get concessions from school-board to allow 3" dagger (but weren't satisfied, wanting to be allowed 8") and hoped they could repeat that "accomplishment" in Michigan.

[Fandango 1,439]

Yeah....no.