Replies

I tried to send this email to Mr. Stumpf, but his mailbox is "disabled."

Mr. Stumpf:

I understand you are trying to ease tensions on campus but I'm very disappointed that you could not find a way to accomplish this without making the terrible decision to ban the U.S. Flag.

How low has this country sunk that we need to ban our own flag on a H.S. campus in order to keep the kids respectful and disciplined?

This has brought some emotions to the surface with me. I read about this and thought back to my time in the U.S. Navy. I thought about all my shipmates who had families and marriages torn apart due to long deployments. I thought about a sailor on our sister ship who, when he got a letter from his wife saying she had left him while we were both deployed to the Mediterranean and that she was taking the kids with her, and then the Navy told him he couldn't have emergency leave to track his wife and kids down, how he then walked to the fantail and put a .45 pistol to his head and killed himself. I thought about my shipmate who volunteered to try out for the Navy SEALs, only to get an infection in his leg during the rigorous training and eventually lost his leg to that infection. I also thought about my deceased grandfather who suffered from jungle rot in his feet for decades as a result of his service as a Marine in the Pacific during W.W.II. I thought about all of these things and wondered how it is that the U.S. Flag could be banned on a public school campus?

If I were you I would feel I had totally failed my students.

I hope you find a way to fix this totally insane policy.

I, too, offer the following to Mr. Stumpf:

Sir:

I am a retired teacher/administrator and former U.S. Army soldier in W.W. II. Our American flag is a symbol of how much we love, fought for, and, yes, many of my friends died for.

What you have done is an abomination against me, our students, our citizens, and our deceased patriots. How could you even have thought to do as you did.

If I had been a teacher under your supervision, I know that you would have had to possibly defend yourself. I would have joined the students you insulted and suspended, for I would have proudly worn a flag to our school.

Remember how the Pledge reads, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States....?

Sir, better that you resign your position. You are not fit or qualified to educate our children.