(Indianapolis, IN) - A day or so ago, a friend sent me an email describing the plight of a Mississippi schoolboy whose Star of David necklace was banned from school - ostensibly because school officials said it could be misconstrued as a "gang symbol."

This morning, I was listening to NPR as I readied for work and I heard this story again.  NPR interviewed the head of the school board who said, as I paraphrase, "besides, I don't know how devout this person is.  Jews usually marry other Jews and this guy has been married twice to a Catholic and a Baptist.  Now he's complaining that his son can't wear a necklace."

If you were wondering were Mississippi gets its reputation for ignorance and intolerance, wonder no more.  The Constitution doesn't require proof of religious devotion in order to engage in religious expression.  Nor is a necklace out of line as a modest, unobtrusive demonstration of faith.

More disturbing than the banning of the necklace, however, is the outright stupidity shown in the comments of the aforementioned school board leader. What does somebody have to do in Mississippi to wear a Star of David? Grow peious, wear a yarmulke, say Motzi in the lunchroom, speak with a New York accent and say "schlep" and "schmutz" a lot?

We can only hope that the State of Mississippi will pass legislation soon to tell us what constitutes a pious Jew.