Banning Patriotism
Posted on April 5, 2006
Take note: One of those rare times we agree with the ACLU…
SAN DIEGO — In the wake of last week’s immigration-reform protests, one school district is taking drastic measures, banning all symbols of patriotism, both U.S. and Mexican.
Beginning Monday, the Oceanside Unified School District is banning all flags and patriotic clothing. According to school officials, some students are using the garments and flags to taunt classmates.
Some critics of the move are calling it a violation of free speech protections guaranteed by the Constitution.
The American Civil Liberties Union points to the landmark Supreme Court case Tinker v. Des Moines. In that case, school officials attempted to stop students who were protesting the Viet Nam War from wearing black armbands.
“The school has to be able to show a strong likelihood that there is going to material and substantial disruption of school, and if they don’t meet that standard, then they can’t censor student speech,” said Kevin Neenan of the ACLU.
School officials in Oceanside now say that flags — whether they are U.S. or Mexican or any other country’s — have now become a divider on campuses, saying that some students are using them to taunt other students
Keith Brentlinger displays the U.S. flag outside Hatter, Williams and Purdy, his Oceanside business.
“To me, it’s everything,” said Brentlinger “I mean, like I said — we truly live in the greatest country in the world.”
WTF? Are we not in America here?
“It upsets me that we cannot support our troops, the military,” said Kirsten Golgart, an eighth grader who was told she’d be suspended if she didn’t change her clothes. “We can’t support our country. If we’re American, I think we should be proud to be an American.”Source
Amen to that!
Freedom Folks has some interesting thoughts on the dress code calling it mexitude.
» Filed Under 1st Amendment, ACLU, News
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Holy crap! We agree on something!
The school does have a right to protect their students. From what I know they are treating signs of patriotism more like gang colors than national expression. This is a teaching moment where the school has the opportunity to teach others about respect for others beliefs including how to respect for the national beliefs of the natives you are visiting. Instead of teaching respect and tolerance, they have chosen to ban all beliefs. Sounds foolish to me.