Does someone need a map?

[jks9199]

Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the vice principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.
"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."

Full story

Gee... Maybe they need to look at a map, and if they're so offended by the US flag, travel south till they're in Mexico.

 

[rlobrecht]

Wow. They don't even recognize Cinco de Mayo as a holiday in Mexico. It's not their independence day, it's just a day they won a battle.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

This is why I support deportation via balista.

 

[RandomPhantom700]

This is why I support deportation via balista.

Bob, I see this topic more about PC-ism then illegal immigration. Unless you mean deporting Mexicans regardless of citizenship status, which I doubt is the case.

 

[Nomad]

Bob, I see this topic more about PC-ism then illegal immigration. Unless you mean deporting Mexicans regardless of citizenship status, which I doubt is the case.

How about deportation of the idiot vice principal who made this call?

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I see the 2 intertwined, but Nomad's got the idea.

 

[chaos1551]

Incendiary indeed! Got quite a bit of attention!

"No, sir. We always, all four of us, wear flags on the same day. We didn't even realize it was Cinco de Mayo. I swear. We're not trying to cause a confrontation or anything."

Do I think they have the right to wear those flags? Heck yes!

Do I think they are being punks? Heck yes!

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I just hope that on July 4th, when the other students show up in Mexican colors, that they receive the same 'fair' treatment.

 

[Empty Hands]

It is obvious and true that the boys should not have been removed for wearing American flag t-shirts and bandannas (bandannas, seriously?).

That said, I suspect there is more to the story. Like a particular high school in LA that had black/Hispanic tension that led to big fights a few years back. I suspect a pattern of Hispanic/white/other tensions in this school that has led to fights in the past. I suspect that the flag t-shirts were both meant to inflame AND that the Hispanic students might use them for a convenient excuse. Lastly I suspect that the administrator didn't really care about rights or principles, but wanted to prevent trouble by any means necessary.

Could be wrong, but I doubt it. I know and went to school with plenty of Mexicans, and Cinco de Mayo was just an excuse to party. I suspect something deeper here.

 

[Carol]

Coupla things.

Cinco De Mayo was the date of the Battle of Puebla, 50-some years after Mexico declared its independence from Spain. The date became a holiday in the State of Puebla, kinda like Massachusetts celebrating Bunker Hill Day, if you will.

The holiday became a celebratory one in the area, in the spirit of unity. Outside of Puebla, it is regarded as a Chicano holiday, as a day Americans celebrate (or pretend to have) Latin-American heritage. Kind of like St. Paddy's day, where everyone is Irish. It certainly didn't hurt that Cinco de Mayo is easy to pronounce (unlike"Diez y Seis de Septiembre") and the beer companies were more than happy to pump millions of dollars in to commercializing it.

Makes me wonder if the boys have a history of starting trouble with immigrant families. After all, if they were truly patriotic, they would know that displaying the American flag on a bandanna or a T-shirt is not proper ettiquette, eh?

http://www.usflag.org/flag.etiquette.html

 

[crushing]

I initially wondered about the "Respect for the Flag" section of the US Flag code too. But then I wondered if they were really wearing the flag, or were they wearing red, white, and blue colors and possibly respresentations of the flag and not actual US Flags. It didn't seem likely they had crafted actual flags into clothing.

 

[Carol]

I initially wondered about the "Respect for the Flag" section of the US Flag code too. But then I wondered if they were really wearing the flag, or were they wearing red, white, and blue colors and possibly respresentations of the flag and not actual US Flags. It didn't seem likely they had crafted actual flags into clothing.

As a representation of the American Flag, that would be illegal in DC. I can't see how that would mean it is perfectly acceptable, elsewhere. See 4 USC 3.

http://www.usflag.org/uscode36.html#173

Any person who, within the District of Columbia, in any manner, for exhibition or display, shall place or cause to be placed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawing, or any advertisement of any nature upon any flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America; or shall expose or cause to be exposed to public view any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign upon which shall have been printed, painted, or otherwise placed, or to which shall be attached, appended, affixed, or annexed any word, figure, mark, picture, design, or drawing, or any advertisement of any nature; or who, within the District of Columbia, shall manufacture, sell, expose for sale, or to public view, or give away or have in possession for sale, or to be given away or for use for any purpose, any article or substance being an article of merchandise, or a receptacle for merchandise or article or thing for carrying or transporting merchandise, upon which shall have been printed, painted, attached, or otherwise placed a representation of any such flag, standard, colors, or ensign, to advertise, call attention to, decorate, mark, or distinguish the article or substance on which so placed shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $100 or by imprisonment for not more than thirty days, or both, in the discretion of the court. The words 'flag, standard, colors, or ensign', as used herein, shall include any flag, standard, colors, ensign, or any picture or representation of either, or of any part or parts of either, made of any substance or represented on any substance, of any size evidently purporting to be either of said flag, standard, colors, or ensign of the United States of America or a picture or a representation of either, upon which shall be shown the colors, the stars and the stripes, in any number of either thereof, or of any part or parts of either, by which the average person seeing the same without deliberation may believe the same to represent the flag, colors, standard, or ensign of the United States of America.

 

[Empty Hands]

I get the point, but that ship has sailed. The flag is emblazoned on everything from hats to coffee mugs to lapel pins to bumper stickers. Even bandannas, as immensely tacky as that is. Almost no one even knows the flag standards, and of those who do, high schoolers would be last in the list.

I knew some from my time in the Boy Scouts. I even retired a few flags in my time, it was a moving experience. Most don't have that exposure though, or even know it's something they lack. Even the really obvious stuff, like erstwhile flag worshippers flying faded and tattered flags day and night.

 

[Empty Hands]

My favorite flag bandanna:

 

[Carol]

My favorite flag bandanna:

"I don't care where you're from -- that's funny" :lol:

 

[crushing]

As a representation of the American Flag, that would be illegal in DC. I can't see how that would mean it is perfectly acceptable, elsewhere. See 4 USC 3.

http://www.usflag.org/uscode36.html#173

§ 3. Use of flag for advertising purposes; mutilation of flag

I guess without seeing the "offensive" apparel, we can't be sure that the students placed any marks or advertisements upon a flag (or flag colored clothing) or in any way mutilated a flag or representation of the flag. If they are, then it would appear from that language that the manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer are also committing a misdemeanor. The kids probably had no idea they were buying contraband at the GAP or where ever they gained posession of these possibly illegal goods.

In fact, a several years ago my parents bought me a T-shirt that had a representation of a flag on it and I caused it to be exposed to the public by wearing it. To think that an interpretation of the flag code could have led to my imprisonment for no more than 30 days!

 

[crushing]

My favorite flag bandanna:

LOL! Cardinals fans crack me up!

 

[Carol]

I suspect this was not the first time a coordinated attempt to make a statement has been seen in the respective school districts.

This wasn't the only symbolic protest on Cinco de Mayo. About 20 students showed up at Pioneer High School wearing "Border Patrol" T-shirts. By the end of the day, administrators asked them to remove the shirts, which they apparently did with no problems, according to Karen Fuqua, spokeswoman for the San Jose Unified School District.

http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_15030582?source=most_viewed

 

[Big Don]

This is why I support deportation via balista.

No no, that could be fun...
If it's fun, we'd fight over who got to ride it next, then no one would live here...

 

[jks9199]

In my time as a cop -- despite dire predictions nearly every year -- Cinco de Mayo hasn't been an issue with any sort of Latinos. It has been yet another excuse for white kids to get drunk...