Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing

[conspiracybeliever]

Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing American Flag Tees

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.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36981179/ns/local_news-san_francisco_bay_area_ca/

[JeremyGTS]

wow, if I were those kids parents I would have shown up to the meeting wearing everything I could find with an American flag on it!

What is America coming to! this is America any American should be able to display or wear the American Flag whenever we want. Afterall this is America right!? If I were those kids id wear and American Flag as a cape! Id hang American flags all over my locker, and if they drive id have flags all over my car too!

[Pauly Dangerously]

Unbelievable. This reads like a joke. I am without words...

[Neognosis]

If the principal felt that the flag wearing was intended to antagonize and cause a disturbance, he/she would have been right to address it.

If he/she did nothing, and there was an incident and someone got seriously hurt or even killed, they would be calling for the principle's blood.

This is a tough one. You don't want to staunch free expression or patriotism. But it is a shame that these kids chose to use the flag not to show pride, but to antagonize another group. That's the real shame, if you ask me.

[JeremyGTS]

If the principal felt that the flag wearing was intended to antagonize and cause a disturbance, he/she would have been right to address it.

If he/she did nothing, and there was an incident and someone got seriously hurt or even killed, they would be calling for the principle's blood.

This is a tough one. You don't want to staunch free expression or patriotism. But it is a shame that these kids chose to use the flag not to show pride, but to antagonize another group. That's the real shame, if you ask me.

I didnt see anything in the article stating these kids where trying to antagonize another group.. it was their normal wear for the day! it was what an "American Eage or Old Navy" clothing which ALOT of their clothes has the American Flag on it. We have the right to free expression and free speach in America, and no you dont suspend your rights when you walk into a school... If they punished the kids for wearing American Flags then whats next? you cant have a flag pole in your yard? Cant have American Flag stickers on your back window of your car??

[Neognosis]

yes, their normal wear included an american flag headband... it just happened to be cinco de mayo.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/local-15749667/19585803

We have the right to free expression and free speach in America, and no you dont suspend your rights when you walk into a school...

Actually, yes you do. You suspend several rights. You can have your locker searched, your person searched, all without even reasonable suspicion. You can't stand up in class and make a speech out of turn. You can't do a lot of things... and don't forget, school children are also minors, and the school is responsible for their safety.

I

f they punished the kids for wearing American Flags then whats next? you cant have a flag pole in your yard? Cant have American Flag stickers on your back window of your car??

That's an interesting and ridiculous appeal to emotion. unfortunately, it is without logic. What happens in school has no bearing on what happens out of school. The "slippery slope" argument simply does not apply here.

You seem to be under the impression that school age children have the same rights in school as adults have out of school, and this is simply not so.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Neognosis

[Wickian]

"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."

Would any Americans here be offended if you saw someone wearing Mexican colors/symbols on the 4th of July? I wouldn't.

[Neognosis]

I don't think the situation is exactly comparable, Wickian. Your statement ignores all the anti-mexican sentiment that has been around lately.

I would be offended if I went to school on December 7th to find some japanese kids wearing japanese flags and a japanese flag headband... especially if that was not their normal dress and they were being cheeky about it.

Edited May 6, 2010 by Neognosis

[Black Coyote]

Would any Americans here be offended if you saw someone wearing Mexican colors/symbols on the 4th of July? I wouldn't.

I know a lot of people who would.

These kids dressed like that for the sole purpose of stirring up drama and controversy. It's no different than if a group of friends came into a school with a large black student base on MLK, Jr. Day dressed head to toe in Confederate flag paraphernalia. They may as well have been wearing big, flashing neon signs saying "HEY! HEY! WE'RE LOOKING FOR A FIGHT! COME GET US!"

It was an act of passive-aggressive juvenile antagonism, plain and simple.

While the principal's reaction was overboard, and he practically played right into their sweaty teenage hands, I have precious little sympathy for those boys. Regardless of what they say to the cameras, they knew exactly what they were doing and exactly what the outcome would be. This was a direct ploy on their part to stir up trouble, and they got exactly what they wanted.

[Neognosis]

Agreed

[JeremyGTS]

yes, their normal wear included an american flag headband... it just happened to be cinco de mayo.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/local-15749667/19585803

Actually, yes you do. You suspend several rights. You can have your locker searched, your person searched, all without even reasonable suspicion. You can't stand up in class and make a speech out of turn. You can't do a lot of things... and don't forget, school children are also minors, and the school is responsible for their safety.

I

That's an interesting and ridiculous appeal to emotion. unfortunately, it is without logic. What happens in school has no bearing on what happens out of school. The "slippery slope" argument simply does not apply here.

You seem to be under the impression that school age children have the same rights in school as adults have out of school, and this is simply not so.

Yeah ill agree with the illegal searches... but if i want to say something in school out of turn i just did it. i wasnt worried about a detention or a letter home because i have the right to speak when i want.. just like i have the right to go to the bathroom whenever i want at school, and ive told my kids that if the teacher says no then get up and go! i wont punish you!

Second, students in public schools are not stripped of their rights completely. In Board v Barnette (319 US 624 [1943]), for example, the Supreme Court ruled that students could not be forced to recite the Pledge of Allegiance nor otherwise salute the flag against their will. In Tinker v Des Moines (393 US 503 [1969]), the Supreme Court ruled that students wearing black arm bands to protest the Vietnam War could not be forced to remove the arm bands by school officials. As written in Tinker, "It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate."

http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_stud.html

kids do have rights in school they are suppressed a bit but they have them. I see the black arm band example relates to this story, they are supporting THEIR country which they have the RIGHT to.

Edited May 7, 2010 by JeremyGTS

[Neognosis]

i wasnt worried about a detention or a letter home because i have the right to speak when i want.. just like i have the right to go to the bathroom whenever i want at school, and ive told my kids that if the teacher says no then get up and go! i wont punish you!

No you don't. You don't have the right to speak when you want in school.

They were also not wearing the flag to support their country, they were wearing the flag to antagonize another group. They were not sent home for wearing the flag, they were sent home for inciting trouble.

[chemical-licker]

anyone get that feeling that english and american patriots are getting some what harrased recently?

[Mistydawn]

If no-one wore flags to school, there wouldn't be any problem.

[JeremyGTS]

No you don't. You don't have the right to speak when you want in school.

They were also not wearing the flag to support their country, they were wearing the flag to antagonize another group. They were not sent home for wearing the flag, they were sent home for inciting trouble.

well I spoke when i wanted to! im not going to bow down to a bunch of power hungry teachers... Did they flat out say "hey screw stinko de mayo im gonna wear my flag shirt?" and even if they did then WHO CARES they have have the RIGHT of free expression... People wear the conferderate flag ALLLLL the time, people wore it in my school and they couldnt do a damn thing to stop them because its free expression!

[Black Coyote]

anyone get that feeling that english and american patriots are getting some what harrased recently?

No, but I get the feeling that jerk*ss teenagers are going out of their way to cause trouble and dull-witted principals are giving them exactly what they want.

[SRCivic98]

I didnt see anything in the article stating these kids where trying to antagonize another group.. it was their normal wear for the day! it was what an "American Eage or Old Navy" clothing which ALOT of their clothes has the American Flag on it. We have the right to free expression and free speach in America, and no you dont suspend your rights when you walk into a school... If they punished the kids for wearing American Flags then whats next? you cant have a flag pole in your yard? Cant have American Flag stickers on your back window of your car??

or just wear white tennis shoes, blue jeans and a red t-shirt that's solid or a tank top for the ladies. ha! take take people that say you can't wear the american flag!

[Neognosis]

well I spoke when i wanted to! im not going to bow down to a bunch of power hungry teachers... Did they flat out say "hey screw stinko de mayo im gonna wear my flag shirt?" and even if they did then WHO CARES they have have the RIGHT of free expression... People wear the conferderate flag ALLLLL the time, people wore it in my school and they couldnt do a damn thing to stop them because its free expression!

You are under a serious misconception.

Minors do not have the same rights as adults, and you don't have nearly the same rights in school. The school is responsible for your safety, and if they feel that you are creating a dangerous situation, they can, and will, and should, curtail any "free expression."

[odiesbsc]

I hope the boy's parents sue the crap out of the school and the vice principal. I would be willing to bet that most of the hispanic students don't even know what Cinco De Mayo is all about. I've ran across some Hispanic people who think Cinco De Mayo is the Mexican Independence day. It is not! Cinco de mayo was when the Mexican malitia defeated the French in the Mexican state of Puebla in 1862. Cinco De Mayo is celebrated mainly in the state of Puebla and is NOT widely recognized in the rest of Mexico.

Odie

[JeremyGTS]

You are under a serious misconception.

Minors do not have the same rights as adults, and you don't have nearly the same rights in school. The school is responsible for your safety, and if they feel that you are creating a dangerous situation, they can, and will, and should, curtail any "free expression."

This isnt the USSR... I will agree if you are wearing clothes that might cause a distraction or some foul language, something dealing with drugs or guns or soemthing then yes they need to be dealt with. But an American Flag in AMERICA! I dont think theres anything wrong with what the kids did.. Now if they were chanting racial slurs about mexico or mexicans then yes there is a problem.. They were just showing pride in the country they live in by wearing red white and blue!

[aquatus1]

anyone get that feeling that english and american patriots are getting some what harrased recently?

If any of my kids tried to pass off this garbage as patriotism they would be grounded for the rest of the month.

[Indiogene]

Public education officials are nothing more than PC police or claim to have the next generation benefit from socialization to be hyper-sensitive about politics, religion and diversity issues. Religious symbols are often banned clothing styles according to dress codes and the Independent designer company logo drew fire from Jewish students, because the logo was an iron cross (similar to the luftwaffe cross of the German imperial army) and thus reminded them of Nazism and the Holocaust. I don't see a connection, but just a fear of political incorrect behavior. :-/

Edited May 8, 2010 by Archangel Michael

[Neognosis]

If any of my kids tried to pass off this garbage as patriotism they would be grounded for the rest of the month.

Banzai. A couple of wise ass kids being wise asses is not patriotism.

[ninjadude]

This isnt the USSR... I will agree if you are wearing clothes that might cause a distraction or some foul language, something dealing with drugs or guns or soemthing then yes they need to be dealt with. But an American Flag in AMERICA! I dont think theres anything wrong with what the kids did.. Now if they were chanting racial slurs about mexico or mexicans then yes there is a problem.. They were just showing pride in the country they live in by wearing red white and blue!

You're missing Neo's point. Children do not have any "rights". Spend some time in the juvenile court system and read the juvenile laws of your state. You can be all outraged but it really doesn't matter. It's a little known think amoungst most Americans. Minors have about the same "rights" as cattle.

[puridalan]

Ugh they are in the US right? Then why can you not wear an American flag..inside your American country...even if cinco de mayo...this makes no sense. I'm confused really I am

I really do not care if they were being "smart-a's" that does not make it to the point where these kids should be sent home. Last time I checked we did have freedom of speech, and note these kids weren't wearing anything with 'vulgar' content such as nudity or cuss words...no it was a flag. What will be next, someone wearing a shirt that says I love Jesus.

Again I do not care what the intent was, but that this was punishable is a joke in and of itself...wrong.

Edited May 8, 2010 by puridalan