School T-Shirt Wars, Part MCXLVI: Kids can't wear U.S. flag shirts on May 5

[Baron Scicluna]

Five kids sent home, threatened with suspension if they went back to class for wearing American flag shirts on Cinco de Mayo in California. Vice principal was worried that fights would break out because Mexican students would be offended:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36981179?GT1=43001

To me, just like the kid wearing the Colts jersey in the Louisiana classroom on Saints Day, either allow all the kids to wear what they want, or ban them all from wearing American or Mexican clothing. Don't discriminate, one way or another.

 

[93Devil]

This country is headed in a very bad direction...

It's wrong to tell these kids what to wear and what not to wear, but what is worse is the fear that wearing this would start fights.

Thanks Arizona.
Thanks GOP.

 

[Ace]

I don't think the fear is that Mexican Americans would be offended by American flag T-shirts and bandannas. I think the issue is that the white kids were being provocative by getting together as a group and deciding to wear those items that day just to act chippy.

 

[Pastor]

While I think it is rather stupid that the students were sent home, I'm certain we all know that these kids, all friends, didn't up and decide that they would all wear American flag clothing for no reason. They wanted to make a statement.

The one kid's American flag shorts are a bathing suit! Come on.

 

[dog428]

I don't think the fear is that Mexican Americans would be offended by American flag T-shirts and bandannas. I think the issue is that the white kids were being provocative by getting together as a group and deciding to wear those items that day just to act chippy.

Yeah, but who wants to take the time to explore the intricacies of why a decision was made, and who would dare give the school officials the benefit of the doubt by even imagining for a second that there might be a legitimate reason for their actions?

To hell with that. Lots more fun to simply say, "School won't let kids wear American flags," and then fight over it as if it were actually that simple.

I'm so tired of these rhetoric fights.

 

[dooley_womack1]

American flag bodysuits would be OK, however.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

So these boys get together to do something just to be a-holes, and the school calls them on it?

Yeah, that's OK with me. Little **** kids were asking for trouble by wearing those shirts.

Thanks Arizona.
Thanks GOP.

I'd ask how this particular conclusion was reached, but I'm not sure I'm in the mood for a sad display of unintentional comedy.

 

[RickStain]

This appears to be different from the Colts/Louisiana case. The school doesn't appear to have a uniform policy that it was relaxing or anything like that. Every other day, the kids can wear American flag shirts. On May 5, apparently, they can't. That's horrible.

 

[Oggiedoggie]

I'm scratching my head, trying to figure out exactly how attention whores wrapping themselves in the image of the flag is patriotic.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

So these boys get together to do something just to be a-holes, and the school calls them on it?

Yeah, that's OK with me. Kids asked for trouble.

I'd ask how this particular conclusion was reached, but I'm not sure I'm in the mood for a sad display of unintentional comedy.

Why is wearing an American flag shirt mean that they asking for trouble?

A Mexican-American can wear a Mexican flag shirt 180 days out of the 180-day school year (or whatever number it is). Why should anyone else only be allowed to wear an American flag shirt 179 days out of the 180-day year?

 

[RickStain]

I don't care if they were trying to make trouble or not. Even given the limited rights of students, there's no way that simply wearing an American flag should be considered so provocative as to become unprotected speech.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

So these boys get together to do something just to be a-holes, and the school calls them on it?

Yeah, that's OK with me. Kids asked for trouble.

I'd ask how this particular conclusion was reached, but I'm not sure I'm in the mood for a sad display of unintentional comedy.

Why is wearing an American flag shirt mean that they asking for trouble?

A Mexican-American can wear a Mexican flag shirt 180 days out of the 180-day school year (or whatever number it is). Why should anyone else only be allowed to wear an American flag shirt 179 days out of the 180-day year?

Wait . . . do these guys have a pattern of wearing these shirts (and the freaking bandannas) with any regularity?

It's not the shirt, it's the intent. They weren't out to show pride in the country they were born in. They were teenagers, out to act like dicks on this particular day.

And before anyone says, "How do you KNOW?!?!?!" Well, I know because I was a teenage boy once. And I don't practice revisionist history regarding what kind of jackhole things I know teenage boys can come up with when they put their heads together.

 

[RickStain]

I don't care if that was their intent. It still should fall within their rights to be a jackhole in that manner.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

I don't care if that was their intent. It still should fall within their rights to be a jackhole in that manner.

Under 18, doing this at the high school they attend? When the principal could easily sell that their little "protest" could lead to campus unrest?

They have no such rights in this situation. Oh, if mommy and daddy are lawyers, they might make some noise, but that won't last. Don't want colleges to recognize their names for this reason.

 

[RickStain]

I don't care if that was their intent. It still should fall within their rights to be a jackhole in that manner.

Under 18, doing this at the high school they attend? When the principal could easily sell that their little "protest" could lead to campus unrest?

Yes, it should still fall under their rights in that scenario. Notice I said *should*, not that it would hold up in court.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I don't care if that was their intent. It still should fall within their rights to be a jackhole in that manner.

Under 18, doing this at the high school they attend? When the principal could easily sell that their little "protest" could lead to campus unrest?

They have no such rights in this situation. Oh, if mommy and daddy are lawyers, they might make some noise, but that won't last. Don't want colleges to recognize their names for this reason.

Well, if wearing a flag shirt, or showing pride in your country or nationality can lead to unrest in a school, then ban every celebration.

 

[Killick]

Next: Better not wear anything featuring a Union Jack on St. Patty's Day, boyo. :

 

[Ace]

I don't care if that was their intent. It still should fall within their rights to be a jackhole in that manner.

Under 18, doing this at the high school they attend? When the principal could easily sell that their little "protest" could lead to campus unrest?

They have no such rights in this situation. Oh, if mommy and daddy are lawyers, they might make some noise, but that won't last. Don't want colleges to recognize their names for this reason.

Well, if wearing a flag shirt, or showing pride in your country or nationality can lead to unrest in a school, then ban every celebration.

If it was one kid, hey it's on him. When it's a group of kids, they are just spoiling for trouble. The asst. principal probably saved them from an ass beating.

Would the flag supporters feel the same way about a group of black kids all wearing gang colors on Gang Friday?

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

I don't care if that was their intent. It still should fall within their rights to be a jackhole in that manner.

Under 18, doing this at the high school they attend? When the principal could easily sell that their little "protest" could lead to campus unrest?

Yes, it should still fall under their rights in that scenario. Notice I said *should*, not that it would hold up in court.

A lot of things "should" happen, but they don't.

I'm sure our legal experts will be along to correct me, but kids under 18 have a distinct lack of "rights!!!" as we know them.

Nothing wrong with a school administrator saying "Oh, you did this just to be dicks and provoke trouble, huh? Well, I'll have none of that here."

I don't care if that was their intent. It still should fall within their rights to be a jackhole in that manner.

Under 18, doing this at the high school they attend? When the principal could easily sell that their little "protest" could lead to campus unrest?

They have no such rights in this situation. Oh, if mommy and daddy are lawyers, they might make some noise, but that won't last. Don't want colleges to recognize their names for this reason.

Well, if wearing a flag shirt, or showing pride in your country or nationality can lead to unrest in a school, then ban every celebration.

It's not the flag. It's the intent. "Hey, we could really **** off a bunch of people if we dressed this way!! Whoooo!"

You guys want to focus on the flag itself and say "Oh, no!! Their RIGHTS!!! are being infringed upon!!!! They could wear those shirts (and bandannas) ANY other day!! (even if they don't)."

It's not the flag. It's dudes hatching a plan to deliberately stir **** up at their school. Could have been any issue, on any day. It's just that they get to be a cause celebre because of "The FLAG!!!!"

 

[tapintoamerica]

Did the school announce a policy in advance? If so, the "offenders" have to expect they'll be disciplined, but they don't surrender their right to challenge the policy through the courts.
If there was no advance notice, the school has even less of a case.