View Full Version : Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing American Flag Tees
RobMoney$
05-06-2010, 06:56 PM
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-beat/Students-Wearing-American-Flag-Shirts-Sent-Home-92945969.html
On any other day at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Daniel Galli and his four friends would not even be noticed for wearing T-shirts with the American flag. But Cinco de Mayo is not any typical day especially on a campus with a large Mexican American student population.
Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the vice principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.
"They said we could wear it on any other day," Daniel Galli said, "but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today."
The boys said the administrators called their T-shirts "incendiary" that would lead to fights on campus.
"They said if we tried to go back to class with our shirts not taken off, they said it was defiance and we would get suspended," Dominic Maciel, Galli's friend, said.
The boys really had no choice, and went home to avoid suspension. They say they're angry they were not allowed to express their American pride. Their parents are just as upset, calling what happened to their children, "total nonsense."
"I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Julie Fagerstrom, Maciel's mom, said. "All they were doing was displaying their patriotic nature. They're expressing their individuality."
But to many Mexican-American students at Live Oak, this was a big deal. They say they were offended by the five boys and others for wearing American colors on a Mexican holiday.
"I think they should apologize cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day," Annicia Nunez, a Live Oak High student, said. "We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July."
As for an apology, the boys and their families say, "fat chance."
"I'm not going to apologize. I did nothing wrong," Galli said. "I went along with my normal day. I might have worn an American flag, but I'm an American and I'm proud to be an American."
The five boys and their families met with a Morgan Hill Unified School District official Wednesday night. The district released a statement saying it does not agree with how Live Oak High School administrators handled this incident.
The boys will not be suspended and they were told they can go back to school Thursday. They may even wear their red, white, and blue colors again, but this time, the day after Cinco de Mayo, there will be no controversy.
This country is SOO SCREWED.
kaiser soze
05-06-2010, 08:25 PM
Screwed because people think it's cute to violate part D of §176 (http://www.usflag.org/uscode36.html#176) of the U.S. Flag Code?
The video says they chose to leave school - not kicked off campus.
Patriotic Nature? How often do they wear these crappy shorts and bandannas disrespecting the U.S. flag?
I think everyone is overacting a bit with this. The faculty shot themselves in the foot for telling the kids they can wear the clothes any other day so that drops any dress code violations.
P.S.
I wonder what the SOS in his pants is - upside down flag = distress correct?
These kids need a lesson in civics and proper flag treatment - ignorance is no excuse when pretending to be patriots.
a high school disciplining a student unfairly? these are dark days
kaiser soze
05-06-2010, 08:48 PM
in other news, idiots are idiots
Please read up on Cinco De Mayo - these kids obviously have little idea as well as their latino counter parts what it is about (and apparently not a really big deal in Mexico)
I bet these kids will sport their nifty US flag Nike high-tops and SOS shorts on every other cultural holiday celebrated in the United States to show they are proud to be AMERICAN - cuz you know AMERICANS don't have any other culture than AMERICAN.
Whatitis
05-06-2010, 08:51 PM
They left school bacause they did not want to change or turn their shirts inside out so yes I guess it was their choice but after they were denied their freedom. Where's the ACLU on this?! And this doesn't violate any flag code, they were not wearing flags, they were wearing representations of the flag but nice try. I not a fan of the Arizona law but I'm even less of a fan of Americans being denied of their freedom of speech.
kaiser soze
05-06-2010, 09:01 PM
I guess you missed this
(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
And if this is a "representation" of the flag, then they left campus because they were wearing a representation of the flag, not wearing the flag....correct? The media needs to make the correction then.
Give them their freedom of speech, but also teach them a lesson in respect for the flag if that's what they want to be so proud of.
I could care less honestly - I don't worship any flag and find it a bit absurd that people call themselves patriotic while improperly displaying the flag even if it's a representation.
RobMoney$
05-06-2010, 09:02 PM
Patriotic Nature? How often do they wear these crappy shorts and bandannas disrespecting the U.S. flag?
Why does it matter how often they wear these clothes?
Why do they have to defend or justify it?
Call me crazy, but if I were a school administrator, I'd probably be more concerned with the kids who would start fights over a T-shirt than the kids wearing the T-shirts.
But that's just me.
Also, I don't really give a fuck what YOU choose to wear on the 4th of July.
DroppinScience
05-06-2010, 09:03 PM
Yeah, unless the kids took an American flag from a flagpole, cut it up and made apparel out of it, that wouldn't count as flag desecration.
It does seem ridiculous on many different levels. As pointed out, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day (that would be in September) and is more of a Mexican St. Patrick's Day than anything. It would be like getting kicked out of an Irish pub for wearing the Union Jack... oh wait, that wouldn't be a smart move either. Hmmm...
They left school bacause they did not want to change or turn their shirts inside out so yes I guess it was their choice but after they were denied their freedom. Where's the ACLU on this?! And this doesn't violate any flag code, they were not wearing flags, they were wearing representations of the flag but nice try. I not a fan of the Arizona law but I'm even less of a fan of Americans being denied of their freedom of speech.
high school students have less freedom of speech (http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2006/2006_06_278/) in school than people in the general public so from a first amendment point of view...who knows, but regardless of the law i think it's an example of a high school administrator being ridiculous. the school district apparently thought so as well, and it seems that nobody's getting suspended after all, so...i'm not sure what there is for the ACLU to do
kaiser soze
05-06-2010, 09:05 PM
Also, I don't really give a fuck what YOU choose to wear on the 4th of July.
well you might - I go to the local nudist camp and launch bottle rockets from my ass
AMERICA FUCK YEAH!!!
Anyways - like I said, the girls better take the SOS shorts seriously
RobMoney$
05-06-2010, 09:06 PM
And if this is a "representation" of the flag, then they left campus because they were wearing a representation of the flag, not wearing the flag....correct?
Let's not drag this down with semantics.
They were sent to the principle's office and asked to turn their shit inside out because they were wearing pro-America clothing.
kaiser soze
05-06-2010, 09:07 PM
no it's because they were wearing TAPOUT (http://www.morganhilltimes.com/content/img/f265416/0505lostudents.jpg) gear when it is quite apparent they are pussies.
RobMoney$
05-06-2010, 09:08 PM
It does seem ridiculous on many different levels. As pointed out, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day (that would be in September) and is more of a Mexican St. Patrick's Day than anything. It would be like getting kicked out of an Irish pub for wearing the Union Jack... oh wait, that wouldn't be a smart move either. Hmmm...
The school realized this could be a problem when the same kids wore their American flag gear on St. Patricks Day and a group of Irish-American students went crazy, beating people up and destroying school property.
oh wait, that probably would never happen either. Hmm...
kaiser soze
05-06-2010, 09:11 PM
I love how people who bitch about how kids are treated for wearing stupid outfits have no complaints about the rights of other citizens (ie Latino-Americans in Arizona) being violated to high hell.
consistency! come on people!
RobMoney$
05-06-2010, 09:13 PM
Seriously tho, would anyone think people were being dooshy or offensive for flying a Mexican flag on the fourth of July...in Mexico?
kaiser soze
05-06-2010, 09:17 PM
no
but I do think people look like douches in "flag" clothing
fucking flaggots
RobMoney$
05-06-2010, 09:22 PM
I'll bet you $10 those clothes were all made in China.
kaiser soze
05-06-2010, 09:24 PM
no need to bet
we both know
China or someplace other than here
Another reason why I roll my eyes at people wearing nationalistic clothing.
These kids need to know Extreme fighting is not just American
and wearing boxers to school is so 80s
pshabi
05-06-2010, 10:59 PM
The clothes were "incendiary" which means they were inappropriate for school. Take 'em off or hit the road is fine with me. Those rednecks wore that shit to stir emotions and cause reaction from others. No place for that in school. There is no argument.
NEXT!
Whatitis
05-07-2010, 12:29 AM
Douchbags, flaggots, rednecks....
Such class.
Practice what you preach.
kaiser soze
05-07-2010, 12:48 AM
you forgot dooshy and who said douchebag? Why I oughta!
wait a minute - you? first amendment rights? practicing what you preach?
anyways, flaggots was a play on another word which rhymes with it the poster of this thread used on some individuals who post here -
that is all, continue choosing who to scold for mean words if you like
Like I said - I really don't care, this is a case of nationalism this vs nationalism that.
People can continue to blanket themselves in the flag, but if they call themselves True Patriots at least learn something about proper flag etiquette - this is continuously violated by these kind of people
Sir SkratchaLot
05-07-2010, 09:08 AM
They were hobviously just wearing the flag to stir shit up. Its the stirring of the shit that gets you into the first amendment loophole for schools. If it causes a disruption, then the school can trump free speech.
What, you say? How did this crazy exception to the First Amendment (the amendment that's almost partially as important as the Second Amendment) happen? Was it those crazy liberals that did it? Did NObamah unfreedomize us again?
No, it was actually the conservative Supreme Court Justices: Burger, Rehnquist, White, Powell, and swing vote O'Connor. That liberal stir-up black Justice Marshall (who is not "one of the good ones" like long-dong silver Thomas) and that other asshole Justice Stevens opposed allowing school rules to trump the Constitution. You see, the Conservative Justices could not stand the fact that during his entire speech, young Mr. Frasier, who was running for school office "referred to his candidate in terms of an elaborate, graphic, and explicit sexual metaphor." SEX IN SCHOOL! Shut that kid up!
Good ole' Justice Roberts used the rule again in 2007 when a horrible banner referenced (gasp) drug use. DRUGS IN SCHOOL! Shut that kid up!
So who should be blamed? We should blame the conservative Supreme Court Justices for putting down law based on ideology instead of on sound logic and reasoning. FLAGS IN SCHOOL!
kaiser soze
05-07-2010, 09:19 AM
The only reason why people are upset is because they were wearing the American Flag, if they dressed up like Teletubbies or the Three Stooges (including Shemp), not a single person would care.
Sir SkratchaLot
05-07-2010, 09:50 AM
The only reason why people are upset is because they were wearing the American Flag, if they dressed up like Teletubbies or the Three Stooges (including Shemp), not a single person would care.
No, I think it's more like wearing a "Three Stooges are better than the Teletubbies" shirt on Teletubbie Appreciation Day to try to make a point. I mean, you know some fights are going to break out there. Especially with the Three Stooges fans being how they are.
freetibet
05-09-2010, 07:10 PM
Celebrate in Mexico, ese-s.
Do drugs, kill some mob bosses. Indulge yourselves THERE.
vBulletin® v3.6.7, Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.