Author Topic: Five students sent home for displaying American flags on Cinco de Mayo  (Read 5739 times)

RevDisk

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http://www.gilroydispatch.com/news/265404-five-morgan-hill-students-sent-home-for-wearing-american-flag-t-shirts

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Five Live Oak High School students' First Amendment rights were challenged this morning when they were asked to leave school because they donned American flag T-shirts on Cinco de Mayo. Officials at the school chose not to comment on the situation, but one student said an official called the T-shirts "incendiary."

"They said we were starting a fight, we were fuel to the fire," said sophomore Matt Dariano.

The Morgan Hill Unified School District issued this statement: "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 district does not concur with the Live Oak High School administration's interpretation of either board or district policy related to these actions."

The five teens were sitting at a table outside during their brunch break about 10:10 a.m. when Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez asked two boys to take off their American flag bandannas. The boys said they complied. In the same conversation, sophomore Dominic Maciel said, Rodriguez told the group to "walk with him to the office."

Dariano called his mother Diana, who spread the word to the other parents, who all arrived soon after to have a conference with Rodriguez and Principal Nick Boden. The group said they were not instigating anything and did what they always do at break - sit and talk and eat.

The boys were told they must turn their T-shirts inside-out or be sent home - and that it would not be considered a suspension - but that Rodriguez did not want any fights to break out among Mexican-American students and those wearing American flags. Dariano said other students were wearing American flags but since they were a group of five "we were the easiest target to cause trouble" according to Rodriguez, he said.

The boys told Rodriguez and Boden that turning their T-shirts inside-out was disrespectful, so their parents opted to take them home.

"I just couldn't believe it," said Dominic's mother Julie Fagerstrom. "I'm an open-minded parent, but it's got to be on both sides. It can't be five kids singled out."

A front-desk secretary said Boden was unavailable for any comment on what had happened Wednesday and Rodriguez was busy with testing, the secretary said.

More than 100 students were spotted wearing red, white and green as they were leaving school. Some had the Mexican flag painted on their faces or on their arms.

Nothing in Live Oak's dress code policy addresses what transpired Wednesday, but it does state that "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."

One Mexican-American student, freshman Laura Ponce, had a Mexican flag painted on her face and chest, peaking out of her low-cut shirt. She did it because, "it's our day, the only day we can show our spirit." A school administrator took away the Mexican flag she was carrying as she was waiting to go home. Ponce said: "not cool."

"There was a lot of drama going on today," Ponce said. Some were saying "Mexico sucks" while Mexican-American students responded in their second language.

"Some were yelling Spanish to us," Maciel said, who is half-Hispanic. "I couldn't understand it, but it sounded bad."

Some Mexican-American students said that their flags were taken away or asked to be put away, but none were sent home for wearing red, white and green. Since Boden would not comment, it's uncertain if any other students were sent home for what they were wearing on Cinco de Mayo.

Live Oak High School even hosted a group of professional baile folklorico dancers, who waved flags and played traditional music from Mexico.

"It's sad it's come to this," Fagerstrom said. "But we stand behind their patriotic nature and the boys expressing their individuality."

The boys wrote a two-paragraph statement that they each signed detailing their support for American patriotism and that they felt disrespected and discriminated against when their First Amendment rights were discarded Wednesday at school.

"We were not going to start a fight. We wanted to show our pride," Dariano said.


Hopefully the five students slam the school hard on this.  Supreme Court has always ruled that students do not give up Constitutional rights at the school door.  And if displaying a US flag is claimed to be incendiary, there's gonna be real interesting repercussions.

Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez needs to understand which country is in.  If any student starts violence, regardless of which side, then he'd be right to step in and deal with said student.  Putting the boot down on US flags, but not on Mexican flags? 
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Boomhauer

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The *expletive deleted*ck?
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longeyes

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"Respect" is just ghettospeak for bullyism.

Enough
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I saw that earlier today, but wasn’t going to wait for the commercials to download
Thanks for the link to a printed article.

I’m a little crabby right now, so pardon me while I let ‘er rip….

I personally think it’s disgraceful to wear a partial image of the flag as an ornament.  
Wear it as a complete emblem, displayed per the flag code, or leave it up on the pole.  
Old Glory isn’t a fashion accessory.

I feel much better now, thank you.
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makattak

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This is bad. However, I have a question:

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brunch break about 10:10 a.m

BRUNCH break? No wonder we have time for such stupidity when HIGH SCHOOLERS get snack time in the morning.

Maybe we have naptime in the afternoon for them, too?
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Mabs2

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I personally think it’s disgraceful to wear a partial image of the flag as an ornament. 
Wear it as a complete emblem, displayed per the flag code, or leave it up on the pole. 
Old Glory isn’t a fashion accessory.

I feel much better now, thank you.
+1
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alex_trebek

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Maybe we have naptime in the afternoon for them, too?

The classes in my HS were easy enough for me to get a quick nap in at some point throughout the day.

RoadKingLarry

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I wonder how Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez is enjoying his 15 minutes of fame shame?
If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.

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"Respect" is just ghettospeak for bullyism.

Enough

QFT. 
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"Respect" is just ghettospeak for bullyism.

Enough
Over here, it's ghettospeak for "fear". I've also noticed that most of those using said word are the biggest cowards and wimps you'l ever encounter, especially if they are alone and can't get their clan to come save them.
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HankB

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I'm surprised none of the boys are reported to have asked Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez one simple question: "Do you - and I mean you personally - REALLY want to be known all over the Internet, talk radio, and television as being hostile to American students wearing the American flag, while tolerating and encouraging other students to wear the flag and colors of a foreign nation?"
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Tallpine

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Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez needs to understand which country is in.

I think he understands all too well - occupied Mexico, of course.  ;/
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I say we need a celebration on April 21, the battle of San Jancinto.  Sam Huston kicked Santa Anna's rear end.  Hence I added my new siggy in honor of the fifth of May.
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taurusowner

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I think the actions of the principal and the statements of the other students really show the underlying problem here.  They do not want to be Americans.  The Left talks all day about how illegals just want to come here to a better place and work to feed their families like immigrants have in America for centuries.  But I think this shows that as a falsehood.  These are not La Raza types here.  The other students (not the flag shirt wearers) and the administrators are not out tearing down American flags or throwing rocks at police cars.  But the underlying attitude is still there.  Everything they are taught and they do at home, at work, at school with each other involves trying to hold on to "being Mexican".  They really do either see themselves as Mexicans living in a foreign land, or as Mexicans living in occupied Mexico.  Again, they are not all radicals out causing violence and vandalism.  But for every one radical assaulting a police officer, there are 50 moms at home teaching their children Spanish instead of English, and that they need to hold on to their heritage and oppose any mingling with American culture or citizenship.  And when the children of ever one of those moms grows up, yeah only a small handful end up joining La Raza and the like, but I would be nearly all of them agree with La Raza in their hearts.  BHO could make them all citizens tomorrow if he wanted to.  But that wouldn't make them Americans in their own hearts.  They don't want to be American.  And that's true problem.

longeyes

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Agree.  But they want a subsidized Mexico, on our dime.  After all, according to them, we stole America from them and live off their sweat and genius.

The trouble is no one in authority will set them straight, with no punches pulled.
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Ryan in Maine

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More often, I'm feeling that treasonous is an accurate description of hundreds of thousands of people in the US. There comes a point where you cannot pass these actions off as democracy and civil rights.

Tallpine

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Agree.  But they want a subsidized Mexico, on our dime.  After all, according to them, we stole America from them and live off their sweat and genius.

The trouble is no one in authority will set them straight, with no punches pulled.

We stole the half with the paved roads and modern cities  =D
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What do you want to bet a huge number of the remaining students show up wearing flags on their shirts for the next few days?

Brad
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After hearing about this all day, I have finally managed to form some words about this surreal incident. 

At first, I wondered if this could even be happening. 

Then I theorized the students might have been doing something inappropriate.

Then I wondered when the school would issue an apology to the flag-wearing students, and every other American citizen.  [Edit: Aw heck.  Apologize to the foreign nationals, too; this won't help them any. ]

Then I thought the assistant principal's actions seemed calculated to incite anger.

Then I reflected on what a great cultural ambassador is Assistant Principal Rodriguez.  Hispanic and non-Hispanic Americans will remember him as the bigot who needlessly inflamed an already touchy situation.


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One Mexican-American student, freshman Laura Ponce, had a Mexican flag painted on her face and chest, peaking out of her low-cut shirt. She did it because, "it's our day, the only day we can show our spirit."

Poor girl.  She's learned to play the victim.  I'm sure her Mexican "spirit" is ruthlessly suppressed on all other days.   ;/
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taurusowner

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Poor girl.  She's learned to play the victim.  I'm sure her Mexican "spirit" is ruthlessly suppressed on all other days. 

Ah but your forget the most important thing of all:  Who she will be voting for in just a few years.  She's (D) for life, and that's really all that matters to the powers that be.

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High school let girls wear low cut tops with Mexican flag painted on their tits, yet sends boys with American flag shirts home as a distraction. Unreal. Are we sure this isn't an Onion article?
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One Mexican-American student, freshman Laura Ponce, had a Mexican flag painted on her face and chest, peaking out of her low-cut shirt. She did it because, "it's our day, the only day we can show our spirit."

To celebrate the day their military managed to get an unsupported detachment of weary French soldiers who were seeking repayment of legitimate debts to surrender?  What are they really after, pity?


HankB

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There's been much commentary on the radio and TV about this, but nobody - nobody! - is talking about the elephant in the room: the assistant principal who tolerates Mexican flags and colors but regards the American flag as "incendiary" is named Miguel Rodriguez.

What's in a name?

I wonder what the man's actual background is . . . he certainly could be a 10th generation natural born American . . . or maybe not. Enquiring minds want to know . . .
Trump won in 2016. Democrats haven't been so offended since Republicans came along and freed their slaves.
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Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. - Mark Twain

Ben

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I wonder what the man's actual background is . . . he certainly could be a 10th generation natural born American . . . or maybe not. Enquiring minds want to know . . .

I actually find a higher percentage of radical La Raza claptrap coming from the children and grandchildren of Mexican immigrants, versus from the immigrants themselves.
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