Kids Sent Home for Wearing USA Stuff on Cinco de Mayo

[insertNameHere]

Wow, I never thought I would see the day in AMERICA where people got in trouble for supporting our flag. Sure they may have done it to be douche bags but this is AMERICA, they have freedom of speech, and if burning the flag is protected under free speech, I can only assume that wearing it whenever you want is also covered.

I mean honestly, they could have worn shirts saying "Get the fuck out of my country you dirty (chain of racial slurs)", but they didn't, they could have intended that message by wearing the flags but um unless thats what the shirts said, I don't care if people are offended.

If mexican students want to wear "Fuck America" shirts, they protected under free speech, maybe not dress code with swear words. Whole thing is shady if you ask me

[Rageaholic]

So I guess the only way to be "fair" is for everyone to have a list of every holiday celebrated anywhere on Earth, so that we can all try and dress so as not to offend anyone. That's just plain silly. I think if you're so easily offended- to the point that a shirt with nothing overtly racist printed on it, just a FLAG, for god's sakes- maybe you should invest in some therapy to help you deal with the anger that life has caused you to harbor. Forcing everyone to dress a certain way to this extent infringes on the right to free expression.

THIS

I'm all for respecting other cultures (as long as they aren't advocating murder, rape, abuse, ect), but they gotta respect us. If they are going to get offended over a goddamned shirt with a flag on it, than they have serious problems. Sometimes we try so hard not to be bigoted asswipes towards others that we favor them over us. This here is a prime example. Those celebrating cinco de mayo were allowed to express their culture, but those boys weren't allowed to express their own.

You know you're going too far when you forbid people from expressing their patroitism in their own country. Freedom of speech and expression comes first, and if others feel so entitled to want to limit that, than they are the ones who have problems.

[Greenday]

I still don't see any proof of malicious intent by those who wore the shirts. They could have just as easily have thought, "Hey, all the Mexicans at school are going to be wearing stuff to show pride in their country. Maybe I'll wear something to show pride in my country." Would put them FAR from the demons you guys make them out to be.

[jackfaire]

At least two of the kids are hispanic from what I heard. I guess they should have known better, its only okay for them to be proud of where they came from, not where they live now.

Well didn't you know your supposed to be ashamed to be American. In fact when I tell people I dream of road tripping all over the country until I have seen everything there is to see they act like that isn't as cultural as say doing the same thing in another country.



And actually saying if you are (this) then you no doubt want to do (that) is saying clearly (all of this group of people do this action) No doubt strongly implying that it's not conceivalbe a memeber of the group would not take said action.

[NodmiTheSellout]

Some of you have admitted it's douchey behavior, but say it should be protected. . .it is. Outside of school. But most schools have something in their dress code about not wearing provocative clothing which, contextually, that was. I seriously doubt they would've done that without some evidence of intent. If "patriotism" is "diminishing another group's culture on one of the few days set aside to celebrate it", I will never be a patriot, because in my book, that's just being an asshole.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

There's just not enough reason to believe that it really was provocative, only that it could have been.

[Ghel]

Here's part of the problem, as I see it. The students didn't have the cohones to admit the reasons they wore the shirts. If you did something for a reason (which seems likely in this case), then own up to it. Take a stand, if you have something to stand for.

What I imagine happened (granted, I have no evidence of this) is that when they were called out for being bigots, they lost their nerve. That seems to be why they waffled on their reasons for wearing what they did when they did.

[jackfaire]

What I imagine happened (granted, I have no evidence of this) is that when they were called out for being bigots, they lost their nerve. That seems to be why they waffled on their reasons for wearing what they did when they did.

Except as was pointed out a couple of the students wearing the shirts were hispanic.

[NodmiTheSellout]

Because hispanics can't be racist, no sir! Please. My hispanic grandmother is so queerly dedicated to assimilation that she doesn't even put 'hispanic' on medical questionnaires, she puts 'caucasian'. She's not viciously racist but she does make the sort of comments that kind of assume white people are better at leading, better at school work, etc. etc.. Just because a hispanic person is on board with a statement doesn't mean it can't be bigoted toward hispanic people.

[crashhelmet]

Except as was pointed out a couple of the students wearing the shirts were hispanic.

Hispanic doesn't mean Mexican. They could've been Colombian, Venezuelan, Spanish, Guatemalan, etc etc etc

CH

[Fryk]

I was waiting for someone to play the Dress Code Card. Tell you what, if you can find the part of the dress code that does not permit american flags being worn, I'll apologize. Dress codes are not fluid. The school admins don't get to change that stuff on the fly for certain days, they have to get it changed in advance via the school board.

[Nyoibo]

Because hispanics can't be racist, no sir! Please. My hispanic grandmother is so queerly dedicated to assimilation that she doesn't even put 'hispanic' on medical questionnaires, she puts 'caucasian'.

A person can be both caucasian and hispanic, hispanic's not actually a race so to speak (Damn it, someone else made this point better than me a while ago)

[NodmiTheSellout]

Re: Fryk

It's not because it's the flag in and of itself, it's the CONTEXT of the flag. Multiple people choosing to wear it on the same day was perceived as an attempt to be controversial, distract, etc.. Again, no one's acting like it's wrong to wear a shirt with an American flag on it in and of itself (though as someone's said, wearing a patriotic shirt made in Taiwan is a little. . .apt, really. Hooray predatory US capitalism?); it's the CONTEXT.

Re: Nyoibo

Yes, they can. Except my grandmother is rather clearly hispanic, in vocal inflection and features, though she's lighter-skinned (Puerto Rican). She puts 'caucasian' on the census and things. . .basically anything that asks for her background, she puts 'caucasian'. I suppose one could argue that 'hispanic' is more of an identity than an actual race, but, I find that strange, and that it certainly illustrates a bias within herself. It's a useful illustration of how ethnic groups can be racist toward themselves--being of a group does not prevent you from having biases against said group.

[Wingates_Hellsing]

Most prohibit dress that is meant to distract, cause controvery, etc.. IN CONTEXT - meaning, considering the day, and considering the number of students to do so - the shirts are controversial, and in likely in violation of dress code for that reason.

By that argument the school can kick out any student wearing any article of clothing that has any symbol, letters or words on it at all. Expressing the opposite position isn't what creates controversy, it just calls attention to it. The flag-wearing students were no more responsible for any possible disagreements than the school for encouraging students to wear/brandish the Mexican flag. By encouraging people to express their opinions and then silencing those they disagree with, the school is advocating a specific point of view which is NOT within their authority or purpose. If you don't want people to disagree, don't tell them to express their opinions.

[NodmiTheSellout]

Yeah, they can. It's not the symbol that matters, it's the context of the symbol. And. . .it's a holiday. I'm sure they'd encourage American patriotism on July 4th if school was open then (I'm assuming it's not, anyway).