Students sent home from school for wearing American flag t-shirts on May 5

[lauragshsu 6]

What about schools who have had students (not just this year, but several times over the past several years, for Houston at least) Take down the American flag and raise the Mexican flag on the flag pole? Sometimes they then hand the US flag upside down under the Mexican flag. Why is that acceptable?

[Cleo's Mom 257]

What about schools who have had students (not just this year, but several times over the past several years, for Houston at least) Take down the American flag and raise the Mexican flag on the flag pole? Sometimes they then hand the US flag upside down under the Mexican flag. Why is that acceptable?

To whom is it acceptable? The school district? Did they endorse it? To the white population of that district? To the students in the school? Just who found it acceptable?

[Cleo's Mom 257]

This isn't about a threat to our American heritage and it isn't about those boys being prevented from displaying their patriotism. More to the point, the incident is a reflection of tensions in the Hispanic community over recent legislation in Arizona and outright racism in the border states.

It's not far fetched to assume these boys were making the statement -- "Mexicans go home." The vice principal was probably just trying to prevent trouble. However, I think he should have just ignored the boys rather than calling attention to them. It just wasn't an intelligent way to deal with the situation.

Our representatives in Congress need to start dealing effectively with the immigration issue.

There is no doubt in my mind that those boys wore those tee shirts to cause trouble and push the envelope. They wore bandanas which is against the school dress code.

I think they should have just been ignored because getting attention is what they wanted. And to stoke any racial tension.

[loserbob 11]

And when you wore green on St. Patricks day, did the kids who wore American flags on the same day get reprimanded and sent home or their flags ripped off their cars, and did fights break out because American flags were worn on Valentines day along with the parties? The point is that these Mexican kids were not celebrating being Mexican-Americans, they were celebrating being Mexicans. The American flags offended them. I say if you can't include the American Flag in your celbration, then take your Mexican celebration back to Mexico and have it there. There should NEVER be an occasion here in America where the flag offends anyone living here.

The teachers and school administrators missed a great opportunity to teach their teenage students a great lesson about America. That all people living here came from many different countries and together, we make this a great nation of AMERICANS. They should have told the Mexicans that attended the school that those who were wearing American Flags on their T-shirts were welcome and that if they had a problem with the American symbol of the flag, that they would not be allowed to Celebrate their countries custom. Not the other way around.

Patty, I never thought I would say this(well, type these words), I agree with you 100%. When in America, America comes first. Celebrate whatever heritage you want but not at the expense 0f "My flag" or "My country". Not when I watched friends and family die for "My flag" and "My country"!!!

[loserbob 11]

There is no doubt in my mind that those boys wore those tee shirts to cause trouble and push the envelope. They wore bandanas which is against the school dress code.

I think they should have just been ignored because getting attention is what they wanted. And to stoke any racial tension.

I also agree with what youre saying, to an extent. If they sat around taunting the hispanics(who hopefully are citizens)then I would have a problem with it but (man this is tough, Im not sure how to explain it)not knowing the full story, I dont agree with what happened to the kids who wore flag shirts. If they violated dress code then I agree with what happened. Im sorry though, if it comes down to to Cinco de mayo, Italian day, polish day, whatever, Ill side with my flag every time. Just my opinion! Why not tell the hispanics they cant Celebrate Mexican heritage at the expense of causing problems with the "American kids", here in America, especially at these turbulent times! I definitely wouldnt expect to celebrate American Independence Day in Mexico at the expense of a Mexican not wearing a Mexican flag shirt and I wouldnt cause a fight in Mexico over a Mexican displaying his flag, holy $hit, what the #$% is this country coming to! This isnt what we fought and died for! But I know in America, the American will probably be sued because of the politically correct bull$hit thats killing this country. We're fighting all over the world, losing soldiers and other brave Americans everyday to protect our country from being taken over(like Europe)and yet its being taken over from within by this politically correct bull$hit. I know this is America and we're supposed to be different, this is the "Melting Pot of the World" but not at my, or any other Americans expense. Sorry Cleosmom, I guess I really dont agree here! You ask any soldier how they feel, I guarantee you theyre not fighting so Mexicans or Islamists can live a happier life in America and not be "racially profiled"(sorry, its not racially profiling, its protection, if you dont like it or agree with it LEAVE!)Not referring to you Cleosmom, Im just making a GENERAL STATEMENT. I do also agree with the Arizona law, just like the majority of Americans. You dont have to do any research on what I said for a response, This is just the opinion of one American who knows first hand why we're fighting overseas and I can assure you it isnt so our men and women can come home to find out we won overseas but it doesnt matter because we lost here at home!(again, Im not being smart about the research part, I agree with you on just about everything else you post, your one of the most knowledgeable people who post(my opinion)here, My post is based solely on my emotions, not much else).

[lauragshsu 6]

To whom is it acceptable? The school district? Did they endorse it? To the white population of that district? To the students in the school? Just who found it acceptable?

Lots of people found it acceptable. The school district doesn't want to punish the kids sometimes or cause an uproar for fear of being labled racist and getting bad attention from the media. If we went to Mexico and did that to their flag, we would probably be shot, not put on the evening news as "students marching for their heritage"

[leroyspuds 0]

I'm not sure, but I don't think the hispanic kids were celebrating Cinco de mayo. The problem was the boys wearing the flags were using the ocassion of Cinco de Mayo to make an anti-Mexican statement. I don't think the hispanic kids did anything. It was the principal who took this action to try to avoid things escalating into a fight among the kids. (Though I don't agree with his actions.)

Let's be honest here: a lot of white people are prejudice against hispanics, for reasons I won't debate here. The hispanic kids weren't disrepecting the flag, the flag boys were just looking for trouble. This is getting blown way out of proportion.

[Chris_NJ 9]

I'm not sure, but I don't think the hispanic kids were celebrating Cinco de mayo. The problem was the boys wearing the flags were using the ocassion of Cinco de Mayo to make an anti-Mexican statement. I don't think the hispanic kids did anything. It was the principal who took this action to try to avoid things escalating into a fight among the kids. (Though I don't agree with his actions.)

Let's be honest here: a lot of white people are prejudice against hispanics, for reasons I won't debate here. The hispanic kids weren't disrepecting the flag, the flag boys were just looking for trouble. This is getting blown way out of proportion.

Let's be honest here: a lot of Hispanic people are prejudice of white people also.....

Whats this have to do with anything? Why does the race card get pulled out so easily these days?

Maybe these kids were just fed up with society these days being so pc and putting down our own country to satisfy other nationalities?

The school was wrong enough said. Undue attention was brought to the students and blew this way out of proportion. The sad thing is most Hispanics or non Hispanics have no idea what Cinco De Mayo is about anyhow and its not even widely celebrated in Mexico for that matter.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Let's be honest here: a lot of Hispanic people are prejudice of white people also.....

Whats this have to do with anything? Why does the race card get pulled out so easily these days?

Maybe these kids were just fed up with society these days being so pc and putting down our own country to satisfy other nationalities?

I'm curious. Who are the "other nationalities" of which you speak? You seem to categorize americans into two groups - real americans and other nationalities. Who are the real americans and who are the other nationalities?

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Lots of people found it acceptable. The school district doesn't want to punish the kids sometimes or cause an uproar for fear of being labled racist and getting bad attention from the media. If we went to Mexico and did that to their flag, we would probably be shot, not put on the evening news as "students marching for their heritage"

Please link the media coverage of this or be more specific as to who found this acceptable. Did the school district allow the flag to remain? Did they come out and say they found it acceptable? Did the townspeople say they foundit acceptable? I am sure this received media coverage, so why don't link it?

[Cleo's Mom 257]

This indicates this incident was not acceptable:

High school students fined for raising Mexican flag

4:55 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo ·

9 Oct 2006

In my hometown of Houston, a group of high school students have been slapped with a fine for attempting to fly the Mexican flag on the school’s flagpole in honor of Fiestas Patrias, Mexico’s independence day:

On September 15, a group of students say they just wanted to display their cultural pride. But school administrators say they broke the rules.

Who knew the flagpole at Austin High could produce legal questions and cultural concerns all at once? Last month, five students tried to hoist a Mexican flag during school hours on the eve of a Mexican holiday. Campus police promptly ticketed the boys for disrupting an outdoor class, which they say was assembled nearby.

HISD spokesperson Terry Abbott said, “It could have been for any kind of classroom disruption. We issue those types of tickets all the time. They’re very common.”

[lauragshsu 6]

Oh no! Not a fine! What I'm trying to say is if anyone went to Mexico and tried to pull the crap that's being pulled here, there wouldn't be a fine.

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Oh no! Not a fine! What I'm trying to say is if anyone went to Mexico and tried to pull the crap that's being pulled here, there wouldn't be a fine.

What you said was that people found it acceptable that a group of hispanic students took down the american flag, put up a mexican flag and sometimes hung the american flag unside down under the mexican flag.

What I am waiting for is some kind of proof to back up your statement that people found this acceptable. Surely something as outrageous as this garnered media coverage.

[lauragshsu 6]

So groups of Mexican students marching, cheering when the US flag is taken down isn't peopel accepting it? I didn't say EVERYONE accepted it.

And the media publishes everything, so it deifnitely must be there, right? Oh wait,the media is a bunch of whipped wusses. They publish something that isn't PC, they get their butts handed to them.

How about this video? Surely it;s outrageous enough for the media to show, right? Nope.

YouTube - Mexican Students Knock U.S. Flag to the Ground

[Cleo's Mom 257]

Loserbob: You're entitled to your opinion as I am to mine. I go to the Irish festival every year where there are plenty of people wearing tee shirts bearing the Irish flag. If someone came with a tee shirt with the Italian flag, I would assume that was done on purpose with a kind of "in your face" attitude. But they would have the right to wear it.

I think the kids who wore the American flag tee shirts had an "in your face" attitude but they certainly had the right to wear them. They did not have a right to wear the bandanas as that violated school code.

And as I said before, they should have been ignored since they just wanted attention, which they got.

And yes, soldiers have fought in many wars for our freedom and our freedoms are extended to all the people in this country.