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Thanks for the links to the previous stories; they filled in the gaps (see quote below). I feel sorry for Lynch; I believe him when he says his anger was directed at the failure to observe proper flag etiquette and was not racial.

At first he did the right thing: he notified the people involved of the breach in etiquette. When they didn't respond fast enough, he should have taken photographs, notified the press, written a letter to the editor, etc. I could even understand taking down the flag, respectfully folding it, and giving it to the campus police or the ROTC. But to tear the flag to shreds was not necessary. I think the court was right to order anger management counseling.

I feel sorry for Lynch, too, for the media coverage and the harrassment that followed.

Here's the quote from a previous story:

The flag, which had been put up for Mexican Independence Day, was never supposed to have been flying by itself, but when the Army ROTC on campus went to retire the U.S. and state flags on the evening of Sept. 14, 2007, they left the Mexican flag flying, thinking its owners would take it down, the Journal has reported. Then, the Army ROTC students, who were supposed to raise the U.S. and New Mexico flags on the following day forgot to do so, the Journal said.