American students take note: Wearing the Stars and Stripes on Cinco de Mayo could get you kicked out of school for the day. At least that's what happened Wednesday to five sophomore boys at Live Oak High School in Santa Clara, Calif. School administrators deemed their conspicuous American flag apparel "incendiary" and likely to provoke fights on a day when many other students were permitted to don the red, white and green designs of the Mexican flag in celebration of that country's heritage. "They said if we tried to go back to class with our shirts not taken off, they said it was defiance and we would get suspended," said Dominic Maciel, one of the students sent home.
According to the local newspaper, the incident occurred at 10:10 a.m., when Maciel and his friends Matt Dariano, Daniel Galli, Austin Carvalho and Clayton Howard -- all of them decked in various articles of clothing with U.S. flag designs -- were seated at a table outside the school on their lunch break. Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez approached the group and asked them to follow him to the principal's office, where they were told to turn their T-shirts inside-out "or be sent home," to avoid any confrontation with the numerous students displaying Mexican colors.Wearing Mexican flag colors is a popular custom on Cinco de Mayo, a holiday originally commemorating a May 5, 1862, Mexican military victory over occupying French forces that has expanded over the years into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. About a quarter of the population of Santa Clara County, where Live Oak is located, is Hispanic or Latino, and Maciel himself is part Hispanic.The boys have not publicly admitted to wearing American flag colors for any specific reason, but they said others were doing the same and did not receive the same scrutiny. Still, they decided they would rather be sent home, as they thought turning the American flag around would be "disrespectful." Many of them called their parents, some of whom were outraged by the school's position.
According to the local newspaper, the incident occurred at 10:10 a.m., when Maciel and his friends Matt Dariano, Daniel Galli, Austin Carvalho and Clayton Howard -- all of them decked in various articles of clothing with U.S. flag designs -- were seated at a table outside the school on their lunch break. Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez approached the group and asked them to follow him to the principal's office, where they were told to turn their T-shirts inside-out "or be sent home," to avoid any confrontation with the numerous students displaying Mexican colors.Wearing Mexican flag colors is a popular custom on Cinco de Mayo, a holiday originally commemorating a May 5, 1862, Mexican military victory over occupying French forces that has expanded over the years into a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. About a quarter of the population of Santa Clara County, where Live Oak is located, is Hispanic or Latino, and Maciel himself is part Hispanic.The boys have not publicly admitted to wearing American flag colors for any specific reason, but they said others were doing the same and did not receive the same scrutiny. Still, they decided they would rather be sent home, as they thought turning the American flag around would be "disrespectful." Many of them called their parents, some of whom were outraged by the school's position.
Has it gotten this bad folks? Are we now so damn politically correct that we have to watch what we do 24-7? Will this same school system ban Mexican flags on the 4th of July, Veterans Day, or Memorial Day? Highly doubtful.
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Today I am sending an American Flag Tee Shirt to:
ReplyDeleteLive Oak High School
1505 East Main Ave.
Morgan Hill CA 95037