Posted on 06/14/2005 10:21:00 AM PDT by robowombat
Maryville bans Rebel flag at events 2005-06-14 by Bonny C. Millard of The Daily Times Staff
The Rebel flag will no longer be allowed at any Maryville school system events.
The Maryville Board of Education voted on first reading to ban flags, noisemakers, sirens, whistles, laser-pointers and hand-held signs Monday night during its monthly meeting.
``This would prohibit bringing in any kind of flags,'' Director of Schools Mike Dalton said.
The exemption to this policy will be equipment, approved by the principal and Dalton, used by groups such as cheerleaders and the flag team.
The no-flag policy eliminates the use of a symbol long associated with the school system but one that has caused growing concern over the years.
``It's been a sensitive issue,'' he said.
Dalton said the Rebel flag has never officially represented the school. Several years ago, it was removed from school buildings and publications.
``As long as you've got kids and families offended by what we do, we have to be concerned about it,'' Dalton said. ``It may not be popular, but it's the right thing to do.''
The school board's decision comes on the heels of a safety assessment of the school system by nationally known safety expert Johnny Purvis.
Dalton said he talked to Purvis about the use of the flag and other things that make people feel uncomfortable and asked his opinion on it.
Dalton said that Purvis indicated that with more people of diverse backgrounds moving into the area, problems shouldn't be allowed to get started. Purvis did a safety assessment on the high school and middle school about three years ago, Dalton said.
Recent incidents of racism including threats against African Americans at the county's William Blount High School and a Hispanic restaurant vandalized and painted with swastikas have surfaced in Blount County.
Dalton's brother, retired educator Ben Dalton, banned the Confederate battle flag from Heritage High School after that school had a racial incident.
Heritage High doesn't allow other schools to bring it to events. William Blount initiated a similar policy this spring in response to events at the school.
In addressing the issue, Dalton said he spoke to high school administrators and sent information about it to the school board members. He also said he has received comments and questions about when the school board going to deal with the situation.
Dalton said the school board wanted to promote an environment of good sportsmanship at athletic events. The school system doesn't want to allow people to do things that will make others uncomfortable, he said.
``We felt like it was time to take a strong position,'' Dalton said.
The event safety policy also prohibits any action ``associated with oppression, hate, or anything else that may cause other students, parents, visitors, constituents, school district employees, spectators, or any other individuals to feel uncomfortable based on race, color, creed, gender, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, religious belief/non-belief... This includes verbal, non-verbal, and physical acts.''
An earlier draft of the policy included specifics of a Confederate flag, swastikas, iron crosses, six-pointed stars, five-pointed stars and double lightning bolts. However, Dalton said the specifics were removed because it would be harder to monitor all the different symbols, such as on a shirt or an earring.
The school system can handle offensive symbols with a general policy prohibiting their display, he added.
Violators of the policy will be removed from the event unless they get rid of the offending article. Dalton said the school system will have to develop policies regarding safety for students kicked out of a game.
In other action, the Board voted to seek bids for system-owned band instruments through a lease-purchase program.
State Rep. Doug Overbey presented a resolution congratulating retired kindergarten teacher Ferrell Smith, who was recently inducted into the Tennessee Teachers Hall of Fame. Smith retired from John Sevier Elementary School and taught in the system for 31 years.
Overbey also presented a resolution to Bob Stewart honoring the memory of his father, the late J.P. Stewart, who served as school superintendent for 23 years. Stewart died in March.
The resolutions were signed by Gov. Phil Bredesen and other legislators.
The South needs to rise again. I'm sick and tired of our heritage being denied.
oh my
I'll fight right beside you! If you don't give in to these morons, they'll soon give up. Sensative my hind foot! Some people are just programmed to bitch about something that didn't directly affect them and that hundreds of thousands died for it. Is there ANY organization that fights these kinds of injustices? Please let me know and I'll support any way I can.
Which heritage, the one that thought holding human beings in slavery was a good idea? That heritage is best left in the ash heap of history. If the South had separated from the USA it would be a third world country right now.
dixie*ping
From this thread http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1419001/posts comes this:
"Permitting a group to fly their flag from the Bridge of Lions enables that group to say 'We exist and this is what we stand for,'" said Karen Doering, staff attorney with the National Center for Lesbian Rights. "By denying this application, these city administrators are denying my clients their constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of speech and equal access under the law. That violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments."
Why would't the same apply to the Confederate flag
Using that logic, since the flag is banned, the school should have no more racial incidents.
I guess they also wouldn't have let them watch the "Rebel 300/400/500" race (one of the previous names for the "Carolina Dodge Dealers 400" or whatever they call it these days.)
In a perverse sort of way, flying a Rebel flag in Maryville is denying their heritage. Maryville's in east Tennessee, near Knoxville -- an area that was solidly pro-Union during the war.
I grew up in East Tennessee and remember that there are at least a couple of high schools that have the rebels as their mascot. In fact, one of the high schools was predominately black. I wonder what impact that will have when those schools come into Blount County and play sports at Maryville.
Me thinks that fans will be wanting to waive those rebel flags for their teams.
My recollection is that there was a lot of Southron fervor there, too.
Whole families were split over the issue.
After the war, the stars and bars became a symbol of defiance to centralized authority and was pretty much adopted, whether during the war a community was pro union or not.
Maryville is one of them. It's the freakin' Maryville Rebels, but Heaven forbid you have a Rebel flag at a Rebels game.
It is disgusting, but not surprising.
As a proud Southern man, I know that black men have earned their right to be called Americans, by the blood they have shed on the battlefield, defending America from its enemies. They do so still today. I honor those black men.
The way things are going (down hill fast), it's probably now the Martin Luther King High School "Freedom Riders", or the Malcolm X High School "Rabblerousers".
Speaking of "Rebels" as a team name - here's the one that got me.
Which side was Nevada on during the Civil War?
What is the team name of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas?
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