US students kicked of school campus for wearing US flag t-shirts

[CFH]

No, no, no. I misread the question first time out CFH!

If the Mexican kids could not have controlled their anger then they should go to anger management schools or find alternative ways to live. I have no sympathy with a man that cannot control his violent tendencies. If I need to kill because a Korean wears the "taeguki" then that is pathetic. The same thing here, these kids are ruling in numbers and they need to pick on the idiots that choose to stand out? Sorry, I wouldn't have sympathy for that.

Normally I would agree, but in this instance they are being deliberately provoked about an extremely contentious issue that is at the fore of American domestic politics at the time. The is a lot of anger, from all sides, about American immigration policy and illegal immigration and I imagine confrontations and violence could have easily been the result of these kids wearing those shirts, which is why I side with the Principal and why I wouldn't solely blame the Hispanics if things got out of hand. It's a poor, hyperbolic analogy, but if I walked through Watts wearing a white-power t-shirt, I would be the person responsible for the beating given to me not those who did it, regardless of whether or not it was my right to wear such a shift. If the Principal felt that those shirts could cause a lot of trouble, he had every right to do what he did. He is charged with protecting the students in his charge (all of them) and for ensuring a peaceful learning environment.

[Gandalf]

Again, like Bilbo, you make good points.

But I would argue that a correct principal would not allow students to celebrate national days if there are serious issues with government going on. If there are issues with national identity then why have these stupid national days to begin with? The best way to solve it is to celebrate nothing. No special days for any students ever and then we head to the future perfect pc world. I still don't have any sympathy for this Mexican holiday that has no currency with most actual Mexicans.

[ono]

Again, like Bilbo, you make good points.

But I would argue that a correct principal would not allow students to celebrate national days if there are serious issues with government going on. If there are issues with national identity then why have these stupid national days to begin with? The best way to solve it is to celebrate nothing. No special days for any students ever and then we head to the future perfect pc world. I still don't have any sympathy for this Mexican holiday that has no currency with most actual Mexicans.

How would you know that? How many Mexicans do you know?

[Gandalf]

Again, like Bilbo, you make good points.

But I would argue that a correct principal would not allow students to celebrate national days if there are serious issues with government going on. If there are issues with national identity then why have these stupid national days to begin with? The best way to solve it is to celebrate nothing. No special days for any students ever and then we head to the future perfect pc world. I still don't have any sympathy for this Mexican holiday that has no currency with most actual Mexicans.

How would you know that? How many Mexicans do you know?

Google, and I don't know any Mexicans.

But does it matter if I know any Mexicans? I would say no.

[ono]

Again, like Bilbo, you make good points.

But I would argue that a correct principal would not allow students to celebrate national days if there are serious issues with government going on. If there are issues with national identity then why have these stupid national days to begin with? The best way to solve it is to celebrate nothing. No special days for any students ever and then we head to the future perfect pc world. I still don't have any sympathy for this Mexican holiday that has no currency with most actual Mexicans.

How would you know that? How many Mexicans do you know?

Google, and I don't know any Mexicans.

But does it matter if I know any Mexicans? I would say no.

It matters because you've just claimed that Cinco de Mayo has no' currency' with most actual Mexicans. So i was presuming you was basing that opinion on experience.

[boozeboxer]

Ono has miles against the ropes!

[Gandalf]

My original point will hold true and that holiday really has no relevance for most Mexicans anyway.

[Gandalf]

Are you trying to prove otherwise?

(Booze, am I fuck against the ropes?)

[boozeboxer]

My original point will hold true and that holiday really has no relevance for most Mexicans anyway.

well most of you all don't have any true connection with bond-fire day or whatever you all call it, but many like to celebrate and mistake that for a national pride?

[ono]

My original point will hold true and that holiday really has no relevance for most Mexicans anyway.

Brilliant. Buenos Noches amigo.

[killersheep]

Nothing you have said here is of direct relevance to the debate. Like I said, you HAVE to question the mindset of these boys. Without going on a rant about how much you hate the Mexicans for the way they shaped your history, tell me.... Question why do it? On this day?

They were in The United States of America .....is that not a good enough reason?


The idea of kicking these students out of school for wearing American flag t-shirts is 100% against everything The United States is about because the boys wearing the t-shirts did not prevent the people from celebrating Cinco de Mayo and THAT my friend is the bottom line....free speech isn't always nice and pleasant and fun, but sometimes a t-shirt is just a t-shirt and in this case an American from ANY ethnic group should be outraged that this happened.

I also find it highly offensive that the illegal immigrants wave Mexican flags when they protest immigration policy....that's just fucking idiotic, but I don't think just because they wave the Mexican flag that they should be thrown out of the country just on account of the flag thing.

I agree with most of what you wrote. Except for being offended by immigration protest thing which really doesn't bother me. Even though I am against them, there is some benefit to school uniforms.

[Gandalf]

Yes, in conclusion I will argue that schools are no place to celebrate foreign holidays and that uniforms are a pretty good idea. No Mexican shirts and therefore no American shirts either. It can work both ways and and at all times. That's how a school can avoid these issues.

[ono]

Yes, in conclusion I will argue that schools are no place to celebrate foreign holidays and that uniforms are a pretty good idea. No Mexican shirts and therefore no American shirts either. It can work both ways and and at all times. That's how a school can avoid these issues.

Schools tend to celebrate these sort of days to teach the kids about the history and significance of such holidays. Cinco De Mayo has significance because it celebrates the fact that Puebla in Mexico resisited invasion by France, despite being vastly outnumbered. Eventually Mexico became occupied by the French, but that's beside the point. It's relevant to teach in America as there are Mexicans in the country and there are Americans with Mexican ancestry.

The kids broke the US flag code aswell, which is both bewildering and funny....in equal measures.

[Nameless]

I'm failing to see how anybody can't see that the kids in question were just being complete dicks. I mean Bilbo has explained it well, Jaz has, amat has, CFH has and i thought i had.

Being a dick is not illegal, nor is wearing a flag (i.e see the post where I did explain it more detailed). The point is not there, it was perhaps provocative but it was far from something totally disrespectful or offensive such as burning a mexican flag or stomping a Mexican icon. You cannot kick kids out of school for their opinion when these opinions are displayed peacefully.

[Gandalf]

I'm failing to see how anybody can't see that the kids in question were just being complete dicks. I mean Bilbo has explained it well, Jaz has, amat has, CFH has and i thought i had.

Being a dick is not illegal, nor is wearing a flag (i.e see the post where I did explain it more detailed). The point is not there, it was perhaps provocative but it was far from something totally disrespectful or offensive such as burning a mexican flag or stomping a Mexican icon. You cannot kick kids out of school for their opinion when these opinions are displayed peacefully.

Yes, there is nothing to suggest that the kids were being violent in expressing themselves. If they had been wearing the flag and walking about hitting the Mexicans then I would fully empathise with the Mexicans, but just based on wearing a few silly colours I struggle to see the big deal. I find it such a bizarre thing to get upset about. I couldn't imagine a situation from my school days where someone would get so worked up by a flag, but we did have to wear uniforms up until 6th form which is possibly the best option if this is how sensitive people are going to get. And they should all have the same haircuts too just like kids do here. If you are going to get so worked up by people expressing themselves (no matter how ignorantly) then how about going the other way and showing what its like for everyone to have no freedom. Uniform clothes and haircuts is the way to deal with this. Well done, KS on solving the issue for me! Hooray!