Posted on 03/31/2006 1:57:51 PM PST by Millee
More than two dozen students walked out of Skyline High School Friday morning to protest what they say is a ban that doesn't allow the American flag to be flown on school grounds.
Several students said that they were upset that Mexican flags can be waved around but that American flags couldn't. They said that school officials confiscated their American flags because it has become inflammatory because of recent immigration issues.
"When the immigration laws came out we noticed that a lot of Hispanics were waving Mexican flags and what we were thinking to ourselves is like, isn't the immigration law to stay in the country? You want to stay in America, correct? So I said, for every Mexican flag, you should have an American flag right next to it. So a few people went out and started waving American flags, and that's where everything bridged out," said Skyline student R.J. Fogal. "That's when they started telling us that we can't wave American flags, there's going to be no flags today, or everyone is going to be suspended -- whoever carries a flag."
"What we want to know is since when was it against the rules to have an American flag on a car, in a car, in your hands in a school?" said student William Cassity.
Skyline principal Tom Stumpf said that the school enacted a ban this week that prohibits students to display, wear or fly any flag -- American or Mexican.
"The (policy) evolved because the flags were being used, not as a symbol of cultural heritage, but the flags were being used as symbols of bigotry, a symbol of hostility. They were being used to inflame different groups and we're simply not going to tolerate that at Skyline High School," Stumpf said.
"My paramount obligation, my solemn obligation at Skyline High School, is to provide a safe and secure environment and with the flags being used as a catalyst to stir up the students, to stir up the environment, I cannot condone that ... One flag was thrown into the face of another group and another flag was being brandished in front of another group and it was done to raise emotions, and we don't want that. We want respect -- that's our main goal at Skyline High School," he said.
The school has a diverse population and some students say there have been tensions between different ethnic groups because of the national immigration debate.
"I think our whole society is on different sides of the immigration issue and I can't control that. All I'm asking from our students is respect -- respect for one another, treating each other as they themselves want to be treated, treating each other decently, civilly," Stumpf said.
He said the students have a right to rally and those who walked out of class on Friday would not be punished.
It's inflammatory to wave an American flag, but not to wave a Mexican flag?
I'm amazed that there are real live American students in the school.
People are starting to get angry about all this cr@p. I guess there IS hope for America.
Makes you really want to send your kids to school.
HE SAID NOTHING WHILE THE MEXICAN POPULATION DID SO BUT NOW WHEN AMERICANS WANT TO STAND UP FOR THEIR COUNTRY
"WERE NOT GOING TO BE FLYING ANYTHING"
B.S
I wondering if this school has a flag pole, and if so, what's flying on it?
The Jolly Roger? Star and Crescent?
Nex thing you know some retard will be wanting to outlaw flagpoles.
Several students said that they were upset that Mexican flags can be waved around but that American flags couldn't. They said that school officials confiscated their American flags because it has become inflammatory because of recent immigration issues.
I love those kids!
America! !#@$ YEAH!
"I wondering if this school has a flag pole, and if so, what's flying on it?"
Most likely it flies an American flag and a state flag, like most every school and government building in the country.
Wonder what the principal would do if a student came to school with a flag patch on his book daypack? Expel the student? Rip the patch off? Have him arrested?
I see a big juicy lawsuit directed at the school and school district if he tried that. Almost makes me wish I was a student again so that I could challenge it.
Mods just pulled the thread in the News forum -- guess they don't want too many to see this and want to avoid our getting worked up about this.
WHAT????? It is not a right to rally when you are a minor and are supposed to be in school. Rally on the weekends, you stupid little .. .
And no American flag? I don't give a crap what "gets inflamed". We are in America, and a flag should be flying at every school.
Oh, what I would do if my kid were told she couldn't wear a shirt with an American flag on it.
IMO, we need to "VERY HARSHLY" punish and fine ANY business that hires illegals.....We won't need to send them back.....they will go back on their own.
The jobs no American wants to do???????.....PRISONERS can do them to pay back society for their crimes.
Yeah...they pulled the other one. :(
It should be posted every time it clears off the main page IMO.
This is going to get UGLY
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