El Cinco De Mayo

[Tinhead Bruce]

So I was thinking about this today, and my family and I were talking about it and such because we have boring dinner conversations, and isn't this technically a free speech violation? Its kinda like the black armbands from the 70s, but reverse.

Reverse how? In Tinker v. Des Moines they were taken out of school for "disturbing the peace" as well. Unless you mean that in the Tinker case the protesting was considered an "anti-American sentiment", while these boys were suspended for the opposite. I suppose that how you mean reverse.

An interesting piece of trivia: the sister and brother of a family friend of ours are Mary Beth and John Tinker, two of the children from the case.

As for my opinion on the issue, I just feel that while it seems they were wearing it to be obnoxious, celebrating America on Cinco de Mayo is not infringing on others' rights. Waving Mexican flags is in support of one group exclusively: Mexicans. Sporting American flags isn't supporting "white" people, it's celebrating all Americans, which whether they like or not, these Mexican-American students are. You want to celebrate Mexican pride, fine, but getting offended and angry when someone, whether out of malicious intent or not, celebrates American pride is just helping to reinforce self-perpetuating segregation. So my ultimate view is that these boys should be chastised for intentionally trying to get the Mexican-American students riled up, if that is in fact what they were doing, but I don't feel that sending them home from school was the appropriate action. I'm sure this will turn into another big issue that creates even bigger racial divisions, which is certainly not what we need.

 

[Yamikarasu]

When I saw this on the news where I live, I was like "WTF? Why shouldn't they be able to wear an American flag?" But reading the article and reading the comments I'm sure there is something more to the story. Probably just a bunch of bigots getting antsy about all the Mexicans in their town.

If there was a legitimate reason to think that the kids might have started a fight, then the principal had every reason to send them home. It's no different then wearing some sort of gang paraphernalia, given the context and the situation.

 

[Aureol]

Those kids have the right to be asses, but it doesn't mean it was right for them to be asses.

Pretty much how this situation should've been handled. They had the right to wear the shirts, albeit it was pretty rude to wear it that day. But, if I had known the school would throw me out for wearing that shirt, I would wear it in a heartbeat. Nothing aggravates me more than others telling me what I can't do. I'm not out to put the Mexicans down, but at the same time they get to celebrate their freedoms, so I'll celebrate mine.

 

[FreakyLocz14]

Solution: Sue school district. Constitutional violations should NEVER be tolerated. The school even admitted that they would be allowed to wear those shirts on any other day of the year, meaning they are not considered gang, hate, or otherwise inappropriate clothing. Their absence was recorded as unexcused. The school should change it to excused because it was their violation of the student's constitutional rights the caused them to leave.

I am a Mexican-American. I am as proud to be an American as I am to be a Mexican.

 

[chadgraphix]

I hate my school, this is so messed up. and the guys who did this are such jerks it doesn't even matter.

 

[Gary the Magic Fairy]

Anyone complaining about an American Flag being shown in America is just an idiot. Sure it was obviously an attempt to get a reaction, but that doesn't really change anything. If they actually started a fight, then that should be the reason given for having them leave, not what clothes they were wearing.

It's not an anti-American holiday, a flag isn't going against anything being celebrated.

 

[Netto Azure]

Today, at my school, five guys decided to wear shirts with American Flags on them. They said they did this to show their patriotism, and we're believed to want to start a fight. They all had to leave school for this. It became so "dramatic" that it'll even be on the news later.

Read more here: https://www.morganhilltimes.com/new...-sent-home-for-wearing-american-flag-t-shirts


Discuss. :D

Pfft. It WAS on the news earlier. It became fodder to the whole immigration debate just because. :P

 

[TziporaBatBinyamin]

I see it this way... Unless your a native American, then your an immigrant. It was native American land long before it was French, Spanish and British colonies, which became The United States of America

 

[Kenpari]

Dammit who cares about Cinco De Mayo. This is the United States of America and if we want to wear an American flag, then so be it. I'm all for equality and whatnot but you can't get somebody in trouble for support their country. I don't care if a fight breaks out, send those people home. Screw it.