California Students sent home for Wearing American Flag Shirts
WTF is going on with this country? How many tens of thousands of American men and women have died defending this country and for the freedoms we enjoy and our Flag and for what it stands? If you really want to know, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_casualties_of_war and read those stats.
Now read the story below about how five California High School Students were sent home yesterday for wearing T-shirts with an American Flag on them. I am sitting here shocked numb over this. What country do I live in? Am I in the friggen twighlight zone or something?
There are so many people expending energy in protests over the law that Arizona passed, which is nothing more than their enforcement of a law already on the Federal Books making it ILLEGAL to be an ILLEGAL alien in this country and now we have this happening? Americans that care about this country need to mobilize against this school. They need to protest there, not in Arizona. They need to march in the streets of Morgan Hill, CA and let them know that this sign of disrespect against our flag and those that have fought for it is not gonna stand.
In fact you can call the High School and let them know how you feel at (408) 201-6100 or if you would like to contact the official who asked the students to remove their American Flag Bandannas you can contact Mr. Miguel Rodriquez at [email protected] or reach him at extension 40105 after calling the number above.
This school is in violation of the 1st Amendment and in violation of what it means to be a Patriotic American.
If Mr. Rodriguez or anyone else in the Live Oak School system want to celebrate the Mexico Independence Day Mexican army‘s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, then he should pack his crap, move to Mexico and renounce his US citizenship. Because it is clear that he cares more about that country (funny I thought by his name he was Irish) than he does this Great Country we are all proud of and fight for.
Administrators at a California high school sent five students home on Wednesday after they refused to remove their American flag T-shirts and bandannas — garments the school officials deemed “incendiary” on Cinco de Mayo.
Administrators at a California high school sent five students home on Wednesday after they refused to remove their American flag T-shirts and bandannas — garments the school officials deemed “incendiary” on Cinco de Mayo.
The five teens were sitting at a table outside Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Calif., on Wednesday morning when Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez asked two of them to remove their American flag bandannas, the Morgan Hill Times reported. The boys told the newspaper they complied, but were asked to accompany Rodriguez to the principal’s office.
The five students — Daniel Galli, Austin Carvalho, Matt Dariano, Dominic Maciel and Clayton Howard — were then told they must turn their T-shirts inside-out or be sent home, though it would not be considered a suspension. Rodriguez told the students he did not want any fights to break out between Mexican-American students celebrating their heritage and those wearing American flags.
“They said we were starting a fight,” Dariano told the newspaper. “We were fuel to the fire.”
The boys told Rodriguez and Principal Nick Boden that turning their shirts inside-out was disrespectful, so their parents decided to take them home, the newspaper reports.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” Julie Fagerstrom, Maciel’s mother, told the newspaper. “I’m an open-minded parent, but it’s got to be on both sides. It can’t be five kids singled out.”
Galli told NBC Bay Area, “They said we could wear it on any other day, but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it’s supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it.”
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Morgan Hill Unified School District said it did not agree with the school’s actions.
“In an attempt to foster a spirit of cultural awareness and maintain a safe and supportive school environment, the Live Oak High School administration took certain actions earlier today,” the statement read. “The district does not concur with the Live Oak High School administration’s interpretation of either board or district policy related to these actions.”
Attempts to reach school officials early Thursday were not successful. A secretary told the Morgan Hill Times that Boden and Rodriguez were unavailable for comment on Wednesday.
According to its website, Live Oak High School is a 1,300-student institution in the southern part of Santa Clara County, with most students residing in the nearby cities of Morgan Hill and San Jose.
“The student population reflects the rich ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the community,” the website reads.
More than 100 students were spotted wearing the colors of the Mexican flag — red, white and green — as they left school, including some who had the flag painted on their faces or arms, the Morgan Hill times reported.
While bandannas of any color are banned at the school, its dress code policy does not contain references to American flags.
“However, any clothing or decoration which detracts from the learning environment is prohibited,” the policy reads. “The school has the right to request that any student dressing inappropriately for school will change into other clothes, be sent home to change, and/or be subject to disciplinary action.”
Freshman Laura Ponce, who had a Mexican flag painted on her face and chest, told the Morgan Hill Times that Cinco de Mayo is the “only day” Mexican-American students can show their national pride.
“There was a lot of drama going on today,” Ponce told the newspaper.
Some other Mexican-American students reportedly said their flags were taken away or asked to be put away, but no other students were sent home on Wednesday.
Lis Wiehl, a former federal prosecutor and a Fox News legal analyst, said the incident appears to a “blatant” violation of the students’ First Amendment right to free speech. She noted that inciting violence is an exception to a First Amendment legal defense, but Wiehl said she saw no indications that the students provoked anyone.
“Unless I’m missing something, this seems like a blatant violation of the First Amendment,” said Wiehl, adding that uniforms are not required at the public school. “And they’re wearing, of all horrific things, the American flag.”
Posted on May 6th, 2010 by Bouhammer
Filed under: The US Constitution, Wall of Shame
Our flag should never be relegated to a second place on our soil or over the soil in which our brave service men and women are interned.
Damn…you beat me to it.
This is nothing less than institutionalized stupidity.
[...] offense their behavior represents to the “tens of thousands of American men and women have died defending this country and for the freedoms we enjoy and our Flag and for what it stands” — Cinco de Mayo is nothing more than “a manufactured party [...]
okay well if your going to write out of your ass and not know the facts i would like to educate you.
1. cinco de mayo is not mexican independance. that would be september 16.
2. these kids have a right to do this but by thier snooty remarks by saying this is AMERICA they should know that mexico is located in america.
3. mr rodriguez was also taking mexican flags away. i was a witness when he asked a student to please take her flag off from her head and put it away. she listened with out making any idiot remarks the way those dummys did.
4. leave mr rodriguez alone nobody knows him and or the way he works. all these kids were all happy when he started working here. everybody loves him.
5. stop being a **** and reevaluate yourself. are you perfect? are you american indian? no? then maybe you should pack your shit up and leave you ******.
6.OMITTED
Freshman Laura Ponce, who had a Mexican flag painted on her face and chest, told the Morgan Hill Times that Cinco de Mayo is the “only day” Mexican-American students can show their national pride.
“There was a lot of drama going on today,” Ponce told the newspaper.
If you are American of Mexican descent, the United States should be your nation for “national pride”. And, it’s my understnading that Cinco de Mayo isn’t even a national holiday in Mexico…:
I sent an email to Principal Boden and Vice Principal Rodriguez today:
“Hello Mr Boden,
Respectfully, as a first generation American, born of a parent from Mexico who became a naturalized citizen, I ask that you, and Mr Rodriguez, quickly and unreservedly apologize to the American students you singled out and silenced on May 5th.
Both of my parents fully understood and taught us: respect the laws and customs of the citizens of the nation in which you live.
While it is a sweet gesture on our part as a nation to join Mexico in celebrating one of their national holidays [Ed.: I didn't know until just now that it is not a national holiday anywhere; thx Miss Ladybug] within the borders of America, we are not required to do so. Such gestures should never, ever, involve silencing its own citizens before the celebration can be considered a success.
Please correct this mistake. If a disruption to the class environment had ensued, it would have been only because persons who resent open patriotism from Americans decided to be intolerant. Ironically, you incited a disruption after all, with your intolerance.
It would have been far more instructive and appropriate for you and Mr Rodriguez to walk up to the students with an open hand of friendship and solidarity. Your tolerance would have been an example for *all* your students to emulate. Not just American students.
I look forward to hearing that you have apologized to the students and have instituted policies to prevent this kind of intolerance again.
Thank you.
Respectfully,…”
proud live oak student.,
We “Americans” refer to ourselves as such because we have shortened the name, The United States of America. I think you know this. Please, young one, make your arguments with cogent facts.
In order to be “perfect” in America, one only has to obey the laws. It is not necessary to be a Native American to be a good citizen. I don’t know where you are from but I will tell you this, there is no other country like “America”. We have a long history , contrary to popular belief, of tolerance. Virtually all “Americans” can trace there ancestry to some other country. There are no other countries of which this can be said. Millions would come here if they could because there is no place more tolerant then “America”.
If you think that is not true, I suggest you find you neighbors whose ancestors came from other countries and ask them WHY they came to the United States.
Best of luck
I agree with Ms. Ladybug. Laura Ponce resides in or attends school in Amercia. National pride should be restricted to America. Her heritage should be celebrated as with others, but not at the expense of American Pride. If you feel this is backwards then you should not be in America. As a servicemember currently in Iraq I can tell you this is just a heartbreaking event which seems to be happening more and more in the West. I don’t like bleeding or losing sleep for this kind of blatant disrespect!
First, I am a proud veteran who served his country for 10 years in the U.S. Army. I heard about this clueless guy by the name of “Miguel Rodriguez” who seems to think so little of this country that he used his position to attempt students whether they wanted to or not, to celebrate a Mexican holiday. This is a holiday that for many here never even heard of until a beer commercial used it to sell their beer and my understanding is that it’s not even considered a real holiday in Mexico. In his zest to disrespect this country and its flag he sent students home who wore our flag on their shirts. I am shocked and dumb founded that this guy still has a job, if me a white guy tried to force students to do something like this, I would have had my career in the education system ended, would have been sued, and possibly jailed. However because of his race it seems many have given him a free pass. You disgrace this country and its flag, if you consider America so bad, and Mexico so great, then give up your citizenship and go back. Oh that’s right, Mexico is only great if your not actually living there isn’t it, hypocrite.