This school year some Central Coast schools are taking interesting steps to try to prevent violence and keep students safe and free from the threat of gangs. In both Salinas and Hollister, high school students are now subject to exhaustive codes of dress; codes that interestingly do not govern what students can wear, but rather what they cannot wear: colors like red and blue, jerseys of sports teams, or clothes with geographical references and the like. It’s quite an expansive list of prohibitions. The cause is a noble one, and school administrators are to be applauded for being pro-active in their approach to ensure student safety.

But our KSBW Editorial Board wonders if this is the best way to engage the problem; if it’s the best message to send our students. Rather than wave the white flag and surrendering the colors red, blue, jersey numbers and the like to the gangs, why not take that ground away from them. We bet that between the administrators, students and perhaps even parents, they could come up with some creative ideas and an inclusive approach that would be enthusiastically embraced by the student body; the result could soon take away any “gang cache” associated with some particular attire. Just as importantly, it would give young people a chance to show they’re serious and engaged in playing a part in finding a solution and ending gang threats and violence.

Surely students, parents, and educators can work together to come up with a solution that they can live with. Telling students what they can do and wear instead of what they cannot do and cannot wear, just seems to us a more constructive path.