Posted on 04/01/2006 9:28:34 PM PST by Former Military Chick
(CBS4) LONGMONT, Colo. Several students were under suspension for flying flags at Skyline High School in a debate over immigration that has sparked debates over free speech and patriotism.
On Friday, some of the students skipped classes and took to the sidewalks outside the school.
"If this country means freedom why can't we fly our own flag? It's ridiculous," said Dustin Carlson, a suspended student.
The walkouts started on Monday when Mexican-American students began protesting the immigration bill now being debated in Washington, which calls for criminalizing illegal immigration.
Several carried Mexican flags which started counter protests from students who bore American flags. That's when the school stepped in.
Principal Tom Stumpf said students were becoming involved in what the school saw as bigotry.
Mexican-American student Lupita Silva claimed there were racial slurs and epithets.
"Just because you're Latino, they hate you," Silva said.
Stumpf said he feared the conduct with flags on schools grounds could "pretty quickly erupt into violence." He said it's his responsibility to ensure the school and students were safe and called reaction to the suspensions "misguided patriotism."
Several students were suspended but only after they were told no overt action deemed to be racial would be tolerated.
"It wasn't because of the flag necessarily. It was because of the fact that they had been warned before," Stumpf said.
What a cute flag waving bear. On one thead a freeper posted a beautiful close up of a flag with E Pluribus Unum printed next to it. I saved it as my background. I have my younger boys walking by when they can see it oooing and ahhing. They love the US flag.
And its loathsome "everything is equivalent" routine.
Students’ rally draws legal threats
By John Fryar and Paula Aven Gladych
The Daily Times-Call
DENVER — The First Amendment implications of the Skyline High School flag policy sent quick waves throughout the state, drawing threats of legal and legislative action from several Republican state senators.
Friday afternoon, after hearing about the school’s temporary ban on flag brandishing from a Denver television station’s Web site, Larimer County GOP Sen. Steve Johnson wrote in an e-mail to Skyline principal Tom Stumpf: “... be advised that your policy prohibiting display of the U.S. flag is in violation of state statute and the U.S. Constitution.”
Johnson added that Stumpf should “be prepared for legislative action and legal action against you to follow.”
St. Vrain officials, however, say they were not infringing on students’ constitutional rights; rather, they were trying to protect students and prevent the flag from being used inappropriately.
“There is absolutely no way that there would ever be an indication that the flag would be banned from being displayed at any of our schools,” said St. Vrain Valley school board President Sandi Searls. “... We do have the ability to limit how a flag is being used in a building. If it is used in an inappropriate manner or a harassing manner, we do have the ability to limit that.”
Johnson said in an interview he’d also written the St. Vrain Valley Board of Education advising them they should reverse the Skyline policy but that as of late Friday afternoon he had not heard back from either the board or Stumpf.
However, Searls and Stumpf both said they spoke with several state legislators late Friday afternoon, but didn’t identify those legislators.
“I talked to two state (legislators) and allayed their fears ...” Stumpf said Friday evening. “We still display the flag in the classrooms. ... It appears in common areas (and) in our gyms.”
Stumpf emphasized that the school’s ban on carrying or brandishing national flags was meant to ensure students’ safety.
“My goal in the whole thing was to keep the school safe,” he said. “I saw misuse of the American flag and misuse of the Mexican flag in a discriminatory fashion and a taunting fashion. I was concerned about the escalation of feelings and that violence would break out. ... There was a temporary ban on displaying or waving of the American flag, the Mexican flag, any kind of flag.”
Longmont Democratic Sen. Brandon Shaffer said in a Friday evening interview that he’d talked to Searls, Stumpf and school superintendent Randy Zila and was satisfied that their actions were intended “to stop bullying” and to “defuse a potentially harmful situation.”
“They saw a potentially violent situation and they were trying to protect the safety of the kids,” Shaffer said. “If I felt that they were denying a person’s right to display the American flag and to demonstrate patriotism, I would be the first one to call them on it.”
Johnson said he and Castle Rock Sen. Tom Wiens, the Senate Republican Caucus chairman, were told of the Skyline situation by a GOP Senate staffer who spotted a story about it on a Denver television station’s Web site.
Johnson said after he and Wiens were unable to get Stumpf on the phone, they both sent him e-mails about their concerns.
Johnson said that either he or Wiens may seek to introduce either a resolution or a more binding state law to specify students’ right to display the flag.
He noted that the Legislature last year passed a law to ensure that houses or condominiums in residential developments covered by homeowners association rules cannot be barred from flying the U.S. flag.
Shaffer, though, said that “this is more of a matter of political opportunism” on Johnson and Wiens’ part “than a matter that needs to be addressed by the Legislature.”
The Longmont senator charged that by sending their e-mails before Stumpf could return their telephone calls — and by Johnson’s telling reporters about those e-mails — Johnson and Wiens were “trying to score some cheap political points” at the principal’s expense.
I cannot speak of other communities but I can say the ones I am aware of yes.
Included this is my e-mail to Smurf:
"UNITED STATES CODE
TITLE 36
CHAPTER 10
§174. Time and occasions for display
(e) Display on or near administration building of public institutions The flag should be displayed daily on or near the main administration building of every public institution.
(f) Display in or near polling places The flag should be displayed in or near every polling place on election days.
(g) Display in or near schoolhouses The flag should be displayed during school days in or near every schoolhouse."
This dam educator has got patriots hopping mad.
I hope they get him FIRED.
Some Colorado FReepers are gonna see about FReeping the freepin' school board meeting and getting him ousted!
He messed with the WRONG people!
Pretty much what the illegal alien supporters and apologists told the American students. Must make ya proud.
"I have my younger boys walking by when they can see it oooing and ahhing. They love the US flag."
Post of the day! Thank you!
I wear an American flag pin every day.
Like usual, you only want to imprint what you want to remember. Go back and read what I wrote in CAPITAL LETTERS: It says the LAST VERSE. If there's a LAST VERSE, then their must be previous verses, thus more to the National Anthem. Can your little mind grasp that concept. If there's a last then there has to be a first, and in the case of the National Anthem there are verses in between the FIRST VERSE and LAST VERSE. Meaning, that there are more VERSES than 2. Do - you - understand - now? Oh, Perdoneme. Comprende Ingles?
Great posting. Thank you.
I noted a Democrat immidiately came to the Principals side!
Thank God, American children are learning to love the flag.
Thank God young Americans will stand up for the flag and the country.
God bless our troops.
It is great that you get involved. Bravo.
There is a show on FNC, that in their teaser said they will be talking about this. Should be interesting.
Kasich - Heartland (think it is on cuz of time change)
No. they point to my proper use of exclamation points because it takes those to implant them into your pea-brain skull that contains a perfect vacuum, which previously was thought to be impossible, but once again, you have broken that mold.
I understand "last" - do you?
http://www.usflag.org/thenationalanthem.html
"On the shore dimly seen, thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream;
'Tis the star-spangled banner: oh, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
Oh, thus be it ever when free men shall stand,
Between their loved homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that has made and preserved us as a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust";
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."
Written by Francis Scott Key on September 14th, 1814.
There's actually one more verse sung by Sandy Patti too. Not sure who wrote that. Does any of that help?
:-)
I fly the flag almost every day.
We just got back from Texas several minutes ago, my sister said she fears a race war isn't too far off in our future. She asked if Americans were going to defend this country or go on with their lives like nothing is wrong.
Say WHAT? Which Consitution do you read in your school. The Russian Constitution?
Articles and editorials relating to public schools and display of Mexican and American flags in Colorado, seems this has happened before;
http://www.cairco.org/articles/articles_school_flag.html
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