311 BANNED T-Shirt

311 T-Shirt

During the decade of the 1990's various schools across the country banned the wearing of 311 shirts by their students. Usually the ban stemmed from rumors surrounding the meaning of the name of the band. For many years the band, when asked, were elusive as to the origin of their name.  In the absence of any direct discussion, rumors began to form.  Unfortunately some of the rumors were that the name either indicated a racist affiliation, or one based in violence.  Mostly the rumors were spread and believed by ignorant non-fans of the band.  On more than one occasion, misinformed school administrators banned the wearing of 311 shirts to school based on this bad information.  
So the band began to talk.......  
They have explained that Three-Eleven's name actually comes from an incident during the highschool years of the band members, when a friend of theirs was arrested while skinny dipping without permission in a private pool.  When arrested, the friend was charged with a violation of code ( or statute)   #311, which in that jurisdiction pertained to pool-hopping while naked and trespassing. Nothing more, nothing less.  Any actual fan of 311 knows that their lyrics and messages are ones of PEACE AND UNITY, and that the membership of the band itself includes diverse ethnic backgrounds.  To say that 311 condones racism or violence was ignorant beyond belief, and happily these rumors have not been circulated for many years.
This shirt was banned for a different reason....