Students sent home for wearing American flags

[Fandango 1,440]

I think that comes under the category of heresay.

School uniforms are clearly the way to go.

Is SMR right, is 'wearing' the US flag inherently disrespectful?

Actually, since Simpson was not relaying something he was told, it's not heresay, it's speculation.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

hearsay.....not heresay... both of you!

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

hearsay.....not heresay... both of you!

grammar police!

[Peikko 1,575]

Well, I saw this on the local SF news, and first off at least 3 of these kids were like me in school- geeks ie. the type that do not start fights. They weren't questioned until lunch, so obviously half of the day went by with no problems...they weren't protesting they were eating.

The school has no policy regarding flags of any type. Its a public school and as far as I know Cico de Mayo is not a Federal holiday, however the US flag is the national flag of that school.

...and the weirdo who said wearing a flag is disrespectful to it.......well you might tell that to every military branch, professional sports team etc who wears with on daily basis.

If it is worn incorrectly, such as upside down or in an inappropriate place such as on your bottom or similar.

Just wondered, I don't get this flag thing at all. To me it seems to promote a belief that if you are holding or wearing the flag you simply can't be guilty of bad behaviour. A flag is a flag, if it makes you feel pride in your country, well fine, but just because you are holding it doesn't make you a better person than someone who doesn't or isn't.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

grammar police!

[Peikko 1,575]

Children should not be put in a position where they can provoke a bad reaction from their peers for wearing something. It's mindless.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Children should not be put in a position where they can provoke a bad reaction from their peers for wearing something. It's mindless.

Children should learn to deal with conflict and the only way to do that is to let them fight it out. Adults should stand by with ambulances.

[Fandango 1,440]

hearsay.....not heresay... both of you!

Doh! That'll teach me to reply while I'm on the phone, hehe!

Children should not be put in a position where they can provoke a bad reaction from their peers for wearing something. It's mindless.

So wearing an American flag in America is provocative? Oh what is this world coming to!!!!

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Just wondered, I don't get this flag thing at all. To me it seems to promote a belief that if you are holding or wearing the flag you simply can't be guilty of bad behaviour. A flag is a flag, if it makes you feel pride in your country, well fine, but just because you are holding it doesn't make you a better person than someone who doesn't or isn't.

But I don't see any bad behavior in this case, they were acting peacefully. Lets assume they were protesting immigration, they weren't attacking anyone, they were showing their national colors in a peaceful manner.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Ok, but there's NO dress code, and the fact remains that the only ones asked to turn their shirts inside out were kids wearing American flag tshirts. Yet, kids come to school with Mexican flags painted on their faces, chests, wearing actual flags draped around their shoulders, and they are fine? Come on now...whatever the bs behind it is...whatever you wanna say about kids not being pawns, kids should wear uniforms, etc...all that is pointless because it doesn't change the fact of what happened. PC bullsh!t run amok, and I, for one, am fuquing sick of it.

This is America for crying out loud.

Frankly, it's easier to send home 5 kids than it is to send home a 100.

From a pragmatic point of view, if the school doesn't have a uniform policy (and it clearly doesn't) then the teachers can only act on what they see and what they know about the students and the school culture. If the kids wore these clothes to provoke some sort of reaction out of the other students, then it clearly indicates that something is wrong with the school policies that permit this situation to occur in the first place.

The bottom line is that this is a situation that shouldn't have arisen in the first place - the teachers shouldn't have to make these determinations and wouldn't if there was a uniform dress code. I expect it will be addressed for next year and that kids will no longer be permitted to wear any clothing depicting nationalist imagery.

It's certainly nothing to get bent out of shape about.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I don't think the students should have been sent home solely for wearing the shirts. However, schools have the discretion to decide what is appropriate dress in addition to a basic dress code. For example, if there was a big football game that day and some students decided to wear shirts in support of the other school, they could be sent home for taunting or trying to instigate conflict on school grounds. My guess is that the VP looked at this as a taunt and didn't want to have a potential conflict on school grounds.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Frankly, it's easier to send home 5 kids than it is to send home a 100.

From a pragmatic point of view, if the school doesn't have a uniform policy (and it clearly doesn't) then the teachers can only act on what they see and what they know about the students and the school culture. If the kids wore these clothes to provoke some sort of reaction out of the other students, then it clearly indicates that something is wrong with the school policies that permit this situation to occur in the first place.

The bottom line is that this is a situation that shouldn't have arisen in the first place - the teachers shouldn't have to make these determinations and wouldn't if there was a uniform dress code. I expect it will be addressed for next year and that kids will no longer be permitted to wear any clothing depicting nationalist imagery.

It's certainly nothing to get bent out of shape about.

Or maybe its a sign of something much deeper. A country's flag should never be incendiary in the first place within its own borders. That's what is honestly ridiculous about this.

[Peikko 1,575]

But I don't see any bad behavior in this case, they were acting peacefully. Lets assume they were protesting immigration, they weren't attacking anyone, they were showing their national colors in a peaceful manner.

I was making a general point. In the US, there seems to be an automatic assumption that the person holding the US flag has some sort of automatic immunity. I am not a USC, I don't get the flag thing at all.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I don't think the students should have been sent home solely for wearing the shirts. However, schools have the discretion to decide what is appropriate dress in addition to a basic dress code. For example, if there was a big football game that day and some students decided to wear shirts in support of the other school, they could be sent home for taunting or trying to instigate conflict on school grounds. My guess is that the VP looked at this as a taunt and didn't want to have a potential conflict on school grounds.

This isn't a football game, its about a symbol of the sovereign nation in which we all live being shunned whilst a foreign flag is honored.

[SMR 368]

Well, I saw this on the local SF news, and first off at least 3 of these kids were like me in school- geeks ie. the type that do not start fights. They weren't questioned until lunch, so obviously half of the day went by with no problems...they weren't protesting they were eating.

The school has no policy regarding flags of any type. Its a public school and as far as I know Cico de Mayo is not a Federal holiday, however the US flag is the national flag of that school.

...and the weirdo who said wearing a flag is disrespectful to it.......well you might tell that to every military branch, professional sports team etc who wears with on daily basis.

If it is worn incorrectly, such as upside down or in an inappropriate place such as on your bottom or similar.

Here are some excerpts from the flag code:

(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.

(g) The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.

USFlag.org

I suppose some of it is up to interpretation. If no part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform, does that extend to apparel? I would suggest it does. In any event, the flag should not be used as advertising. In the picture of the 4 boys, at least 3 of the T-shirts are advertisements for old navy and tapout. The one on the far right may just be a flag.