Student fights write-up for US flag display

[Skinny Shooter]

What do you think of this article? Before you post an answer, re-read it again. Am curious if anyone else picked up on what I read.
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20060413-9999-7m13flag.html

[Valigator]

I am not sure what you may be asking on this, but I do remember during the Vietnam War it was a sign of protest to wear the American flag on the ass end of your jeans....it was a sign of disrespect....is that what your noticing?

A small American flag, tucked into the back right-hand pocket of her pants.

[M.T. Pockets]

I'm all for the flag being displayed respectfully.

I do have a problem with the flag being put in places that aren't respectful of what it symbolizes, the backside of pants doesn't qualify.

I have mixed thoughts on Bandanas, towells, and other clothing items with the flag on them. It used to drive my old Scoutmaster crazy to see the flag on clothing then have the clothing laying around on the ground somewhere or used to wipe up sweat.

[Skinny Shooter]

Val and MT Pockets, you guessed it.

Proper flag usage: http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html
Then click on the "Flag Code" http://www.ushistory.org/betsy/flagetiq.html#5
Scroll down to "§8. Respect for Flag" and then a bit further to Line "D"

"The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general."
I emailed that reporter with some praise for that young girl wanting to stand up for the American flag, but that she overlooked some details on how the flag is to be used.
Am curious what response I'll get.

[M.T. Pockets]

After 9/11 our local golf course replaced flags on all the pins to little American Flags with the hole number on them. Well, guess where the pin flags were when the golfers were putting. I brought it up to the local American Legion commander and he had a respectful visit with the club manager and they agreed it would be best to remove them.

[fabsroman]

Skinny, I thought she was using the flag to protest the proposed immigration laws and was wearing it that way to disrespect the US. INS should have been at those demonstrations checking Visas/greencards. I am glad to see that the IRS and other agencies are cracking down on the required reporting of social security numbers.

Honestly, I am all for limiting immigration. Immigrants need to do it the right way, like my parents did 50 years ago. How times change. What amazes me is that the Latinos in Latin America have severe contempt for this country, but they want to come to this country to make money. What pisses me off even more is that a lot of the money leaves the country and goes back to Latin America. Anyway, I could go on ad nauseum about this topic, but I have to get back to work.

[Skinny Shooter]

Fabs, didn't get that at all. The below info leads me to think otherwise:

Malia said other students also were told to put flags away, including a friend who was told one day before Malia's encounter to put away an American flag bandana.

Seeing that spurred Malia – after talking it over with her mother, Nikki Fontana – to take the small flag to school the next day.
If the school had been up on its civic duties, this may not have made the papers at all. I've seen flag t-shirts, hats, etc while in high school so this probably isn't the 2nd time this has happened for this school.
At first glance she reminds me of being of American Indian ancestry. The logo for the school doesn't help either. :)

[fabsroman]

Actually, the article isn't very clear about her motive at all. It seems that she might have worn the flag to protest the school's limitation of her fellow student's free speech the day before, but it isn't entirely clear.

As far as censoring free speech, it is allowed when the free speech could result in a riot. When I went to high school, there was about 3 or 4 security guards and 2,000 students. If you were the principal, I think you would try to prevent any possible riot any way possible. Imagine 1,000 students fighting 1,000 other students over immigration issues and you, as the principal, trying to deal with that using 4 security guards.

With the amount of facts in the article, and the one sided slant of the article (i.e., pro Malia and free speech), it is tough for me to form an opinion one way or another.

[Valigator]

It says she is an American citizen, anyway you slice it she is a first generation immigrant....she needs to have the word put on her, unfortunately she isnt going to get it ...because too many people around her are immigrants....its time folks, when you go into a store and ask a question and cant get an answer you understand...its time to make your voice heard...lately on the news especially here in Maimi I e-mailed the producer of all the news shows and asked them to preface the perpatrators of the crimes as to whether they were foriegn Nationals or not, doubt I'll get a response but if you lived where I live the majority of crimes committed are done by so called immigrants legal or not....if your gonna call a guy a "black male" why cant you call him legal, or illegal?????

[Skinny Shooter]

Fabs, if the article read that she took a mexican flag bandana to school the next day as a protest because her friend was told to put away her mexican flag bandana, I think a reasonable person can deduce that she was supporting mexico. But in this case it was the American flag. So I, hopefully a reasonable person ;) can deduce that she is supporting our flag.
I still haven't heard from the reporter. Probably won't either.
Val, how do you know she is a 1st gen immigrant?

[Valigator]

I am sorry I meant to say second, she speaks English obviously...in my head I was thinking "first generation" to go to an American school....

[Rocky Raab]

What astounded me was that the ACLU came down on the pro-US flag side of the issue. But then, I'm sure that their real motive was so support any and all kinds of protest, so perhaps I shouldn't be so amazed.

I support displaying the flag any way one chooses. But if you choose to wear it on your butt, then I also demand my right to burn it in protest - while it's in place.

The way to get out of any trouble at all these days is to simply claim that you are an illegal immigrant. They can't touch you, they can't arrest you, and they can't make you show papers to prove it. Heck, they have to give you an in-state tuition discount, free medical care and a driver's license if you make that claim!

[larryours]

As far as I'm concerned, the only flag that should be displayed at our schools, is the American flag. We never had the Rising Sun(Japanese) or the Swastika (German) flown over our schools. I think the only flags flown over our public schools and any government buildings, should be the American flag on top and the State flag underneath, any other flags is a disgrace to the American servicemen & women who have died so we can be free.
If they (Latin-American) want to fly their flags, let them go home and fly them. Simple as that !
Another item, how many times have you seen as much items in the store, labeled in Japanese or German language ????
Think about it?:mad:

[PJgunner]

The Fifth of May is not that far off. I wonder just what will happen on Cinco de Mayo? I'll be locked and loaded just in case.
For those that don't know, Cinco de Mayo or Fifth of May is to the Mexicans like our Fourth of July is to us. The big celebration lasts for several days leading up to the 5th here in Tucson. The park where all this is held is not all tht far from my house. There is another park very close to the house that gets a lot of the spill over. Methinks I'll stay home those days.
Paul B.

[Valigator]

You wanna know what amazes me? These people have the audacity to sneak into our country because they want a better life right? The argument is that their economic status in life is so miserable and depressed that they want a chance at the "American dream" so they can provide for their families.

Obviously Mexico is so screwed up and corrupt and their own President cant stablize its own government that its people have to flee to another country and disrupt and bankrupt yes bankrupt its border country...the US.

Now I as an American citizen do not feel Mexico's inability to financially keep its head and its citizens heads above water is my fault! But it is a slap in the Americans face to slip in here like a swamp rat because one's own country isnt worth living in, and then wave that frickin Mexican flag in my own yard, while defacing my countries flag.

I dont understand why our country is so resistant to stopping this mass migration, what is their a boatload of oil somewhere there? If there is why arent we exploring for it? Are we? Are we even allowed? Or are we gonna wait for them to make their own deal like Venezuela and then spit in our face?

[Rocky Raab]

Val, "the people" can't stop it, only the politicians can. And both parties see that flood as votes. That's it pure and simple.

So it isn't gonna stop, because the politicians will rant and rave and thump their chests - and do nothing with any meaning at all except give them amnesty and the vote.

By the way, you wanna know Mexico's policy on illegal immigration (which they have plenty of at THEIR southern border)? They rob them, jail them or let robber bands shoot 'em.

[Aim to maim]

Originally posted by Rocky Raab
Val, "the people" can't stop it, only the politicians can. And both parties see that flood as votes. That's it pure and simple.

So it isn't gonna stop, because the politicians will rant and rave and thump their chests - and do nothing with any meaning at all except give them amnesty and the vote.



Sad to say, but truer words have never been spoken. DO NOT BE FOOLED if your elected representative says he/she favors "comprehensive immigration reform" or a "guest worker program". Those terms are classic Orwellian doublespeak for amnesty.

Amnesty was an integral part of a "comprehensive" immigration bill signed into law in 1986. Look around you to see how well it worked that time.