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Home Front: Culture Wars
American Flag Prohibited At Colorado High School
2006-03-31
LONGMONT, Colo. -- 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.

The principal said that the ban isn't just on American flags -- it's on all flags.

Several students who walked out of class Friday 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 they have 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.
A ban on students having flags is only acceptable if each and every classroom has an American flag, displayed properly.
Posted by:Anonymoose

#11  The attraction is the power of numbers. They may even picture themselves as leaders within that power group...
Posted by: Omomoling Angereck3709   2006-03-31 23:47  

#10  Always happy to discover more sensible Canadians, Thinemp Whimble2412. I don't imagine this behaviour is directed from across the border, not even the suggestion to come out for the marches. The La Raza types think they can accomplish their Reconquista simply by immigration and high birth rates. Despite all the rhetoric, though, the US-born generation isn't at all interested in living under Mexican governance, since they hear how bad it is from their elders and the poor cousins back home. They just want to be catered to here, is all.

In my opinion, anyway.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-03-31 23:44  

#9  It'll never happen JosephM. We're on to them. ;-)
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-03-31 22:19  

#8  No matter the issue, it still comes down to certain Illegals fighting to stay perm illegal, and perm publicly supported, and Americans taking perm care of non/Anti-Americans at Americans' time and tax dollar costs, where the ultimate benefit Americans can look forward to for all their appeasin' and concedin' is to lose their country, lose their freedoms and sovereignty, lose control of their own nation's economy, govt., and domestic affairs, and finally to be happily exterminated for the good of themselves, their own, and the world.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2006-03-31 21:33  

#7  Is Mexico in on this? No really. Is this a related column, promised temporary rule of the continent. Swarm and conquer - very muslim-like.

I'm Canadian and haven't followed until the last few days. We've had our murdered couple and complete crap out of Fox and local officials.

Could this be, given all timing and approach, related?
Posted by: Thinemp Whimble2412   2006-03-31 20:21  

#6  Fire this stupid turd. The US Flag should be on display in every classroom and flown above the school. The Mexican flags should have to go. They are the problem.
Posted by: SPoD   2006-03-31 19:00  

#5  I live in east San Diego County - rural Santee, and teh Conquistas have no sway here - there were no marches at my kids' high school, nor at the other high school. This is driven in the cities by activists and Latino DJs on FM Radio
Posted by: Frank G   2006-03-31 18:27  

#4  OMG! We forgot to ban torches and rope!
Posted by: Your New Feudal Overlords   2006-03-31 18:11  

#3  I take it they don't recite the 'pledge of Alligence' either.

I wonder what flag is on their flagpole? The white surrender flag?

Obviously this school doesn't need its Federal Funding - give it to a school which is proud to display the american flag.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2006-03-31 18:10  

#2  I think it's time for us peasants to start marching, bearing pitchforks, torches and rope. Sheesh...
Posted by: Dave D.   2006-03-31 18:08  

#1  WTF?
Posted by: 3dc   2006-03-31 18:04  

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