School ‘Correct’ to Ban U.S. Flag T-Shirts for Campus Safety

[Zymologist]

Anyway, it seems entirely clear that it's possible to wear a flag T-shirt as an inflamatory statement* (given the timing and racial make-up of the community.)

(* But, as I said, if you wear a t-shirt with or fly a national flag you're kinda a asshat anyway.)

I don't own any flag t-shirts, never have and probably never will. (I'm more likely to wear a heavy metal t-shirt than anything.) But why would flying a national flag make someone an asshat?

[Cow Poke]

(* But, as I said, if you wear a t-shirt with or fly a national flag you're kinda a asshat anyway.)

Sounds like the statement of a sore loser.

[Zymologist]

Wikipedia says, "This is a U.S. federal law, but there is no penalty for failure to comply with it and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that punitive enforcement would conflict with the First Amendment right to freedom of speech."

Source

[Chrs]

Anyway, it seems entirely clear that it's possible to wear a flag T-shirt as an inflamatory statement* (given the timing and racial make-up of the community.)

(* But, as I said, if you wear a t-shirt with or fly a national flag you're kinda a asshat anyway.)

[Cow Poke]

Isn't the US flag code technically federal law? I have heard this.

It's a stipulation of "flag etiquette", with no provision for punishment. More or less, a "guide".

[Chrs]

There's a "flag code", but I don't think there are any "laws" on the flag.

Isn't the US flag code technically federal law? I have heard this.

[Cow Poke]

Here I am about to betray my ignorance again...

I confess I'm not familiar with the law you're referring to.

There's a "flag code", but I don't think there are any "laws" on the flag.

[Cow Poke]

I may have an odd view on this.... while there are certainly "tensions" in Texas between Texans and Americans, the VAST majority of us get along just fine. There are "activists" on both sides, and --- yes, I realize this is in Cali, not Texas. But we've had similar issues. We even have "June-teenth" to deal with - an African-American "holiday".

[Zymologist]

A good question, since doing so is technically illegal (though there is no penalty for violating that particular law).

Here I am about to betray my ignorance again...

I confess I'm not familiar with the law you're referring to.

[Outis]

What kind of asshat wears an American flag t-shirt in the first place?

A good question, since doing so is technically illegal (though there is no penalty for violating that particular law).

[Cow Poke]

In some cases, the American Flag apparel also goes with slurs such as "Wetback, go home." If that was present in this case, then I don't blame the schools.

Am I still on ignore in a thread I created in which you are participating?

Yes, if this was a "taunt" or an attempt to start a fight, I think it's definitely a problem.

[Cow Poke]

I'm trying to find out if these students ONLY wore the American flag t-shirts on Cinco de Mayo, or if they routinely or frequently wore them.

If they chose to wear them only on Cinco de Mayo, it could be easy to make a case that they were trying to incite conflict. OTOH, it may be a case where they were expressing their patriotism in somewhat of a protest of a "Mexican Holiday" in a US funded school, or something like that.

The case notes that there had been previous violence on the Mexican Holiday at the school, and the video I've seen shows Mexican students waving the Mexican flag.

I'd really like to know more about what was going on in the school, but this is, IMOHBAO, a symptom of our "hyphen-Americanized" society. What happened to the "melting pot"?

[Outis]

Does the American flag offend them?

In some cases, the American Flag apparel also goes with slurs such as "Wetback, go home." If that was present in this case, then I don't blame the schools.

[Zymologist]

Who were the bullies--those who wanted to celebrate their culture, or those who wanted to be "in your face" in a rejection of that culture?

This is an argument that goes both ways, I fear. In this particular case, perhaps the bullies are present on both sides.

How is wearing an American flag t-shirt a rejection of another culture?

[Zymologist]

I believe it makes everyone less safe in the long run. When you back down from bullies that does not make future encounters better. I don't really see this as a freedom issue, it is but a political one. In the short run I can see your "don't use your liberty as a stumbling block" component.

Yes, I agree with this.

I guess I'm confused about what the problem is. Does the American flag offend them? Why? Are July 4th celebrations to be banned soon as well? (I guess this is in the summer, so ) What if some American students are (stupidly) offended by the Cinco de Mayo celebrations?

Our culture just has too thin a skin, methinks. People need to quit being so offendable.