Cinco De Mayo Controversy, kids can't wear US flag shirts

archer wrote:

neptunechimney wrote: Sounds like appeasement to me. How did that work for Neville Chamberlain .

hmmmmmm.......I'm thinking that Chamberlain was never the principal of a school, but I could be wrong.

What? My English to archer translator is broken again.

archer wrote:

Rockdoc Franz wrote:
I can understand the desire to avoid confrontations in school. What I CAN NOT understand is the following part of the ruling???

"The court found that the rights of students promoting their Mexican heritage trumped the rights of students expressing their patriotism," Becker said. If school officials feared disruption, he said, they should have canceled the Cinco de Mayo observance.

Rockdoc, that was NOT part of the ruling, that was an interpretation of the ruling by the lawyer for the students, Bill Becker. Of course he is going to say something like that to inflame people. And you bought it.

I'm not sure how I feel about the ruling, I disagree with infringing on the kids rights, but I agree that a school should do everything it can to avoid violence if they reasonably believe it will occur.

I'm obviously treading on thin ice here. I tend to expect people will be truthful, so yes, I bought that statement. If it is true, I stand by my statement and perspective. If not, then all bets are off. Thanks for pointing it out.
I'm reminded that the wold has changed a hell of a lot since my days in public school. I also understand there is more than one way to handle any problem. I suppose, I'm one of those people who believes the best lessons are those that are painful, since they tend to promote change in most instances and are lessons not forgotten.

Kate, what is the punishment for violating that law. Can you be pepper sprayed. Is it worse that the punishment for slowing a commute?

Once she points this out, the law, isn't the only thing we should be debating is enforcing it or changing it. There is no point in crying about how kids have been told not to do something that is illegal, because it is now offensive too.

The article did point out how the first episode of violence associated was a bunch of Americans that could not handle a non American flag.

Are you sure the principal was afraid of the 20% of low income/Mexican students being offended by the US flag....or was it that he was afraid that the 80% of high income/US students would be so offended by the school allowing a violation of federal law that they would break even more laws? hmmm. Maybe it is time to stop sending your kids to these places.

Let it fly.

What violation of federal law are you referring to?

posteryoyo wrote: Kate, what is the punishment for violating that law. Can you be pepper sprayed. Is it worse that the punishment for slowing a commute?

Once she points this out, the law, isn't the only thing we should be debating is enforcing it or changing it. There is no point in crying about how kids have been told not to do something that is illegal, because it is now offensive too.

The article did point out how the first episode of violence associated was a bunch of Americans that could not handle a non American flag.

Are you sure the principal was afraid of the 20% of low income/Mexican students being offended by the US flag....or was it that he was afraid that the 80% of high income/US students would be so offended by the school allowing a violation of federal law that they would break even more laws? hmmm. Maybe it is time to stop sending your kids to these places.

Let it fly.

It's not a law, it's the U.S. Code.

My point is that several people here are outraged over the desecration of the flag, yet when somebody wears a flag on their clothes, which to me appears to be in violation of the U.S. Code, they forget the same Code.

Kate wrote:

posteryoyo wrote: Kate, what is the punishment for violating that law. Can you be pepper sprayed. Is it worse that the punishment for slowing a commute?

Once she points this out, the law, isn't the only thing we should be debating is enforcing it or changing it. There is no point in crying about how kids have been told not to do something that is illegal, because it is now offensive too.

The article did point out how the first episode of violence associated was a bunch of Americans that could not handle a non American flag.

Are you sure the principal was afraid of the 20% of low income/Mexican students being offended by the US flag....or was it that he was afraid that the 80% of high income/US students would be so offended by the school allowing a violation of federal law that they would break even more laws? hmmm. Maybe it is time to stop sending your kids to these places.

Let it fly.

It's not a law, it's the U.S. Code.

My point is that several people here are outraged over the desecration of the flag, yet when somebody wears a flag on their clothes, which to me appears to be in violation of the U.S. Code, they forget the same Code.

It is NOT in violation of US Code if done properly. Now again, if someone takes an American Flag and turns it into something other than that, yes I have a damn issue with that, but if it is material that somewhat resembles a flag or may make some think it is but is not, then I do not have an issue with that. There are plenty of shirts out there that are red white and blue, has some stars on it but is not a flag. If one purchases a flag to sewn onto thier shirt in an respectful way not a problem.

These are guidelines, not laws. They aren't enforceable. "Should" is not enforceable. I get really annoyed when I see people treating the flag in a manner inconsistent with these guidelines, but it is certainly not against the law.

Title 4 chapter 1 section 8 subsection d, basically says the Flag will not be used for wearing apparel. It does not say nothing about material designed to look similiar to a flag. it also does not say anything about a flag on the shirt (flags screenprinted on shirts in full)

and no I do not buy napkins, paper plates where the full flag is printed on them. That is against the code. I instead buy red white and blue of the same. each individual has to make his/her own decisions on how and what they will or will not do with our Flag. Doesn't matter how disrespectful it is, or how pissed off we get because of it, nothing we can do about it.

navycpo7 wrote: Title 4 chapter 1 section 8 subsection d, basically says the Flag will not be used for wearing apparel. It does not say nothing about material designed to look similiar to a flag. it also does not say anything about a flag on the shirt (flags screenprinted on shirts in full)

and no I do not buy napkins, paper plates where the full flag is printed on them. That is against the code. I instead buy red white and blue of the same. each individual has to make his/her own decisions on how and what they will or will not do with our Flag. Doesn't matter how disrespectful it is, or how pissed off we get because of it, nothing we can do about it.

I understand your position, but if the flag is imprinted on a napkin or paper plate, temporary items, that is only a little more temporary than a shirt. I think it's poor taste to have a flag imprinted on a shirt, and it's my opinion that it's a violation of the Code. I would never buy a shirt with a flag on it, nor would I buy other temporary items with flags on them. I'm surprised that some others here have no problem with a U.S. Flag t-shirt.

Sounds like a possible tragedy averted. Good call by the administrators and judges to defuse a emotionally charged situation.