High School students sent home for wearing shirts with the American flag on them
The last time that I checked– and despite Barack Obama’s attempts to “fundamentally change America”– this is still the United States of America. But when you read this story about students at Live Oak High School who were sent home on “Cinco de Mayo” for refusing to turn their shirts inside out because the shirts had the image of the American flag on them, you have to wonder how much longer this will be the United States of AMERICA.
These boys were trying to show their pride in their country but they were told that what they considered a show of pride was actually “incendiary” because they were purposely degrading a Mexican holiday.
They said we could wear it on any other day,” Daniel Galli said, “but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it’s supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today.
They said if we tried to go back to class with our shirts not taken off, they said it was defiance and we would get suspended.
According to the story there were many Mexican-Americans who were offended that these boys decided to wear the colors of the United States during a Mexican holiday.
Needless to say, I do not have the words to express how despicable I find this story. The “offended” Mexican-Americans are demanding an apology but there is little chance that an apology will be forth-coming.
I’m not going to apologize. I did nothing wrong,” Galli said. “I went along with my normal day. I might have worn an American flag, but I’m an American and I’m proud to be an American.
Somehow we now live in a country where wearing the American flag on a tee shirt on the wrong day is offensive, but illegal immigrants are allowed to protest the American government on May Day– a day that celebrates the birth of communism– while flying the Mexican flag to protest American immigration policy and nothing is done or said about it.
I am not equating these LEGAL Mexican students or LEGAL Mexican immigrants who protest this country’s policies on May Day with the ILLEGAL immigrants who protest this country’s policies on May Day, I am simply using the example to illustrate the differences between this story and the story of the May Day protests. These legal Mexican-Americans can celebrate their national holiday all they want, I do not have a problem with these students having pride in their native country, but they should also respect the national pride that these American students have in their native country. These students were not hurting anyone by wearing these tee shirts, having an American flag printed on a tee shirt is technically not proper flag etiquette but that is not the issue here. What is at issue here is the acquiescence to these Mexican-Americans, who while they may be proud of their heritage, have chosen to leave their home country in order to achieve a better life for themselves in America. It seems to me that while they are proud of their native country, they should also be proud of the country that they have chosen to live in because this country offers them a better chance of success than does their native country.
If these “offended” Mexican-Americans are so proud of their country and so disgusted by the sight of the American flag being displayed on their holiday perhaps they should go home to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. There would be no danger of seeing the offending symbol there, because contrary to America, where illegal Mexican immigrants are allowed to parade and display their national symbol, the Mexican government will not allow American immigrants in their country to do likewise.
America's Watchtower 
I loved Glenn Beck’s response to this story. [my paraphrase]
“You are Americans. You live in America. This is a melting pot … so melt!” he he
LikeLike
He summed up in one sentence what I tried to say in this whole article!
LikeLike
“I think they should apologize cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day,” Annicia Nunez, a Live Oak High student, said. “We don’t deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn’t do that on Fourth of July.” (from the NBC article, http://bit.ly/9IcyHY)
I’m sorry, but the young lady’s saying something she knows will never be challenged, but is not true. When Independence Day rolls around, she and her kin will be celebrating by flying Mexican flags, etc. Except this year many of them will claim that they were driven to it by five high school boys wearing American flags – you know, “It’s all your fault, see what you made me do.”
And from later in the same article,
“The five boys and their families met with a Morgan Hill Unified School District official Wednesday night. The district and the school do not see eye-to-eye on the incident and released the following statement:
The district does not concur with the Live Oak High School administration’s interpretation of either board or district policy related to these actions.
The boys will not be suspended and were allowed to return to school Thursday. We spotted one of them when he got to campus — and, yes, he was sporting an American flag T-shirt.”
Just out of curiousity, how many high school students in, say, Boston, were thrown out of school on March 17 because they wore US flags instead of wearing the green? I’m sure in a city of that size there were some. But the Irish and other immigrants don’t demand that we tug our forelocks and genuflect when we encounter them or hear their language.
Sorry, this is a nation all of immigrants, but that means coming together and working together, not going out of our way to emphasize our differences and maintain the right to remain separate. It’s especially frustrating to see a people who refuse to assimilate yet insist that they have some special right to be here – that is, be here, but not of here.
LikeLike
Very well said. That is the problem with many that come here now, they do not want to assimilate. They want to bring their culture here and make it part of American culture. There is nothing wrong with celebrating your culture, but do not do it at the expense of others.
LikeLike
Amen, Steve. I lived for many years in San Jose, very near where this incident happened, and never had any such problems, but times have changed I know, however, this is absolutely going too far with “Political Correctness”. Cinco De Mayo is not even celebrated in Mexico. We are bending over too far in an attempt to keep other cultures happy, and if they want to celebrate a personal cultural holiday, we don’t have a problem with it, but to say they would not do that on the 4th of July is an oxymoron since, as Americans, they should, also, be celebrating as Americans.
LikeLike
Very true Star3!
LikeLike
Well said Steve. And, I particularly like Georgia Yankee’s comment.
What bothers me is that by demanding an apology for wearing the flag of OUR country, the Mexican students create the perception that the “reconquista movement” is real. Is it real?
LikeLike
Thanks Matt. It seems like it is becoming more real everyday, doesn’t it?
LikeLike
Reminds me of 1967, when Israel, in six stunning days, opened up a whole six-pack of whooppass on Egypt, following which Egypt and the rest of the Arab world belligerantly said “Okay, you whumped out butts, now give us back our land.”
As far as I’m aware, conquest is as legitimate a reason for a sovereign state laying claim to land as any other. And as far as “reconquista,” if you really want to experience a few heart-stopping moments, consider the nightmare of what’s now the American southwest having been part of, and under the jurisdiction of, Mexico for lo these many years. The very first thing I think we can guarantee is that if it ever was desert, it would still be desert – there’d be no orange groves and other farms turning the desert green right up to the mountains, and the Mexican poverty that pretty much ends at the Rio Grande would extend as far north, perhaps, as the Colorado River . . .
Finally, as to respect, my Canadian-born mother made it clear to me starting at a very early age that respect is earned. From my perspective, nothing that either Mexico, or its people here in the USA, have done a great deal to earn respect.
LikeLike
Amen Steve. “demanding an apology?” I’m sorry that you are in a country where you are free to celebrate whatever holiday you prefer.
We must walk on eggshells and be sympathetic to every little thing, it’s just ridiculous.
LikeLike
Ain’t that the truth!
LikeLike
This is one of the most ridiclous and outrageous things I have ever heard of happening in our country! Even Mexico does not celebrate Cinco De Mayo! It is not a Mexican holiday! Those boys should have been commended for their patriotic stand, and the principal of that school should be fired without servrance pay or benefits! I do not condone deliberately disrespecting anyone, and sending those boys home was an act of disrespect to them and the American Flag! I honor “political correctness” about as far as Tinkerbell can toss an elephant, so don’t even start with that! Common sense should dictate our behavior, not the schools, except for dress codes, but having an American flag on one’s shirt is not breaking any dress code! The parents of those boys should look into a lawsuit against the school district.
LikeLike
No immigration without assimilation… TR warned us about this over 100 yrs ago, and said it’s the only thing that could bring this country down… we are now seeing how right he was, so fix it before it’s too late. And over a certain mass, like 1M/yr… the group will not melt, like a large chunk of butter in the pot… there’s got to be a limit, and THE LAW ENFORCED
LikeLike
Looks likt TR knew what he was talking about. When you think about it, it is amazing how much better they were back then of seeing what future problems could arise in this country than we are now.
LikeLike
Okay, do you think we expect the Mexicans in this country to stop wearing a shirt with the Mexican flag on the 4th of July? I think not and we do not demand an apology. Why is it that true, patriotic Americans always have to take the short end of the stick? Why is it that nearly everything we do seems to offend someone, yet what they do is free speech? Ridiculous, if you ask me.
LikeLike
Very true Larry, I would not care if Mexicans wore a Mexican flag on the Fourth of July, neither would I be offended by it. These people are just looking for a reason to be offended.
LikeLike
Will students get sent home for wearing American flag-bearing clothes on St. Paddy’s Day? Can’t disrespect those Irish, ya know.
LikeLike
SOmehow I do not think so.
LikeLike
I can almost see where the fear comes from, look at the protests, those people are acting like animals. Funny, I didn’t see too many Corona or Dos Equis commercials this year, I wonder why????
LikeLike
They are probably just right wing plants. 🙂
LikeLike
The principal says he is sorry. He got one right, for he is “sorry”. A sorry excuse of an American and he should be fired! I have little use for this kind of citizen and no use for him as a school administrator!
LikeLike
This is the type of person that has been charged with teaching our children, yes it is a sorry state of affairs.
LikeLike
Could someone please tell my why is it that we have St. Patrick’s Day for the Irish and Columbus Day for the Italians. We have parades for this and at the front of the parad is THE AMERICAN FLAG, but when the Mexicans get together for Cinco de Mayo they are offended by our flag? If so then why are they here? Get out! Not to mention Cinco de Mayo commemorates a battle Mexico won, but then lost the war and ended up occupied by France, yes France, for 5 years. It wasn’t until 1867, with the Civil War over, that the US was able to supply Mexico with repeating rifles, cannons, ammo, horses, thus enforcing the Monro Doctrine, did the French leave. Please answer me what they find offensive about the American flag? The flag of our country. Try telling Mexico not to fly their flag on July 4th and see what happens.
LikeLike
I don’t think that its the flag that they find offensive. I think its the narrow minded bigots that they find offensive. Just keep in mind that all land is stolen land.
LikeLike
Takes one to know one. How is standing up for ones country and it’s values and beliefs being a bigot? Not to mention I am hispanic, Italian, and Irish. How is wanting to express my pride in the US by wearing, or displaying for that matter, the American flag being a bigot? If you think America is narrow minded biggots, leave. If your feeling stems from the illegal alien debate you are truely miss guided. Stolen land? Unless you are from Mars, all the land on the planet has “been stolen” at one point in time by one group of people or the other. Europeans took the land from the Indians, who took it from someone else (fact look at the Clovis people) The Huns and Goths took Italy from the Romans, the Norse took England and Ireland from the Anglo-Saxons and Celts. Can’t rewrite history.
LikeLike
Mark didn’t call anyone in particular a bigot, although there’s no doubt in my mind that bigotry animates many on both sides of this debate.
Good to see you agree with Mark on the reality of all land being stolen, though. It shows that even when people are on different sides of an issue, they can still find some common ground.
LikeLike
Dunno, Mark. After all, the reports we got said that school officials approached the flag-wearing students and asked them to take their shirts off or turn them inside out, as they were “offensive” to some of the Mexican students.
Now, I’m a liberal and certainly no jingoist, but I cannot see anything appropriate about the school officials’ behavior. If nobody was really offended by the flags, then the school officials lied. If the six flag students were being obnoxious, they should have been told (not asked) to knock it off and behave themselves, not change clothes.
And if some Mexican students complained that they were offended by students in an American school wearing the American flag, they should have been enrolled in “Get Over It 101.”
LikeLike
I just feel like it was no accident that those students just happened to all show up on the same day wearing flag shirts. It was planned and it was an in your face rebuke to a nationally recognized American holiday. It’s like showing up at a St. Paddy’s day parade waving a Union Jack.
LikeLike
The bottom line here is we live in America and yes we love our country and are proud of it and display our flag proudly and always will. If you don’t like our flag on Cinco de Mayo or any other day of the year, feel free to go back to your own country. TR got it so right, assimilate or leave. I’ll buy you the ticket.
LikeLike