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Showing the American flag is never ‘incendiary.’

The recent incident at a California high school in which school administrators sent five students home for refusing to turn their American flag t-shirts inside out has highlighted the increasing insanity of political correctness. Administrators called the showing of the American flag during a school Cinco de Mayo event ‘incendiary.’

Administrators first told the students to remove their American flag bandannas, which they did. The students were then told they had to turn their American flag t-shirts inside out. The students rightfully told the administrators that that was disrespectful and they chose to go home instead. The administrators told the students that they did not want any fights to break out between Mexican-American students celebrating their heritage and those wearing American flags. One student quoted an administrator as saying they were “starting a fight and that they were fuel to the fire.”  The students were told that they could wear the American flag any other day but today was sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it is supposed to be their holiday.

A statement released by the school district said that it did not agree with the school’s actions, but this came only after a storm of protest over the incident. More than 100 students were spotted leaving after school wearing the colors of the Mexican flag, including some who had the flag painted on their faces or arms. To their credit, I don’t think most of the Mexican-American students complained about the students wearing the American flag. This seems to be mostly about a bunch of idiotic school administrators who are afraid of their own shadows and cover their bad decisions by citing school rules that really don’t apply to the situation.

Let me try to put into perspective just how stupid the administrators decision was. Every school that I know of  flies the American flag while school is in session. Did the administrators haul down the American flag and hoist the Mexican flag that day? If they did I think that is actually a crime. When St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the country, are Irish-Americans offended when the American flag is flown during parades celebrating their culture and heritage? Similar questions could be asked about the celebrations for Mardi Gras, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Octoberfest, the Chinese New Year, and the many other cultural and religious celebrations that are held every year in the United States.

Unless I am mistaken, all the Mexican-American students that were supposed to be offended by the showing of the American flag are U.S. citizens first and Mexicans second. How can they be offended by the showing of the flag of the country they are citizens of? Celebration of their culture and heritage is not lessened or harmed by the showing of the American flag. In fact, if Mexican-Americans truly want to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, they should show both the American flag and the Mexican flag. They should be equally proud of their Mexican heritage and the country they are citizens of. There shouldn’t be any day when students are prevented from displaying the American flag.  This doesn’t seem to me to be too hard a concept to grasp. But apparently it is for some school administrators in California.

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