Confederate flag controversy brews at Bloomington school (Minnesota)

KAAL-TV ^ | June 4, 2008 | Justin Piehowski

[Colonel Kangaroo]

Three seniors at Bloomington Kennedy High School will not be allowed to walk in their graduation ceremony after driving to school with confederate flags flying from their trucks.

Seventy-five other students showed up at the school Wednesday morning to protest the action taken by the school against Justin Thompson, Joey Snyder and another student.

"I figured, you know, we’re seniors, it’s the last day of school…we didn’t mean any offense by it," Thompson said.

Added Snyder: "We didn’t look at it as racist or anything."

But school officials feel that flying a confederate flag violates the school’s student conduct policy. The students have been suspended from all school-sponsored activities.

"We are responsible for the 2,000-plus students that attend this school," said Rick Kaufman, of Bloomington Public Schools. "The very nature of what they did had the potential to create a very serious situation."

Students disagreed.

"They weren’t trying to hurt anybody, they just had it on their cars. It’s just freedom of speech" said Landin Lind, one of 75 students who chanted ‘Let Them Walk’ at the school Wednesday morning.

"I feel it was a racist move, but I feel that they were just kidding around," added student James Granberry, who supports the students. "I didn’t really take offense to it."

School officials added that they’ve dealt with some racism issues at the school recently, which is why they are taking the incident so seriously.

All three students will still receive their diplomas.

[stand watie]

i just cannot believe that "marching through georgia" could/WOULD EVER be played ANYWHERE in dixie. (that should tell you how brain-DEAD the "victums of duh gubmint apruved publick screwls sistim" ARE. all too many know NOTHING but the "comforting lies told by their betters". PITIFUL!!!)

the "battle hymn of the republic" is ANOTHER that i don't/won't sit through. the "grapes" that the author is talking about were REAL southerners.

free dixie,sw

[stand watie]

btw, the Confederate Memorial Ceremony is Sunday at 3PM in Jackson Circle, at Arlington National Cemetery.

this is the 200th birthday celebration of the life of of President Jefferson Davis. PLEASE COME!

free dixie,sw

[wardaddy]

There are racist idiots allover,

yep, here's two that 95% of black votes nationwide appear to adore, what does that say about American blacks?

but I never saw a “colored only” drinking fountain until I traveled to the south...

and that would have had to have been at least 45 years ago...something i know about having been there and done that and seen it change...btw has it dawned on you why there was little of that in particular in most places up north.....there are few blacks except in urban clusters which are btw very segregated....yep lived in Manhattan 8 years....more segregated than Jackson Mississippi

Yankees are always know best and are so smug about it, in their own delusions of equality. Y'all were hypocrites then and now.

Welcome to the second Reconstruction if Obama is elected. It will fail just the same leave behind the same wreckage...actually worse because his Reconstruction package is for America and the west in general not just Dixie.

[wardaddy]

And yes, someone who turns their back on their heritage is about as low as they can go.

lotsa low crackers around

[stand watie]

inasmuch as BHO has been embraced as a "true Muslim brother in arms" by BOTH Hamas & the Central Committee of the TALIBAN, one wonders if he is also an ANTISEMITE. fwiw, LOTS of the DIMocRATS from "up there" ARE.

free dixie,sw

[SoftballMominVA]

The director is from Canada - and yes they played the Battle Hymn and When Johnny comes Marching Home.

As I said, I left.

[stand watie]

NOW,first DO the nice/ladylike southron thing & "have a conference with" the Canadian about APPROPRIATE music & explain WHY what he/she has chosen is INAPPROPRIATE.

if that doesn't work "go after" that director with the local school board & DEMAND an APOLOGY.

to quote GEN Forrest, we all must: "ATTACK,ATTACK & ATTACK AGAIN."

free dixie,sw

[mnehring]

What if it was a Mexican flag?

[stand watie]

the "gubmint apruvd publick screwl admenestrshun" would likely give them a scholarship for showing the Mexican flag!!!

the FACTS are that bureaucrats as a GROUP are COWARDS & will do anything to prevent being seen as "insensitive" to the "favored minorities", EVEN when NOBODY is ACTUALLY offended. (i'm reminded of a local ISD administrator, who told the students in an "assembly" that NOTHING could be said on school property that might have the POSSIBILITY to anger, humiliate,upset or make ANYONE "feel unhappy", of lesser value to "our school community" or "less of a person". =====> saying that you like Mother, Chevrolets & apple pie MIGHT have the POSSIBILITY to upset SOMEBODY!)

in other words he is AGAINST FREE SPEECH.

free dixie,sw

[groanup]

I said “IF”. Of course they didn’t do that. It would have been a good ploy for them just as the Emancipation Proclamation was a wartime strategy for A Lincoln. It certainly wasn’t a humanitarian gesture.

[StoneWall Brigade]

Don’t forget about the “sunshine towns”.

[Non-Sequitur]

I said “IF”.

You might well have said, "If the confederacy had developed nuclear weapons and an air force they would have won." That would have been just as likely.

It would have been a good ploy for them just as the Emancipation Proclamation was a wartime strategy for.

The confederacy decided it was better to die with slaves than win without. It was their choice, and probably one of the best indicators that slavery was, indeed, by far their single most important reason for rebelling.

[usmcobra]

I am willing to bet that this school system like so many others around the country has a code of conduct that generally the students or their parents have to sign saying they will follow it.

Always such codes of conduct are written so that, like it or not, displays of anything that could be construed as racist or hateful are not allowed.

Now having said that These young men chose not to honor a commitment that they were bound by to ensure that their school was a peaceful center of learning.

What would you you call someone that refuses to honor a code of conduct?

[rockrr]

The skin-head looker appeared to be hot to test the limits of their code of conduct along with the patience of all concerned. The shaggy-haired kid appeared to be a gullible follower in over his head.

I think they got more than they bargained for...

[Nuc1]

Silly of course?

Your support of free speech is duly noted. The Confederate battle flag represents heritage not hate and is one of the most beautiful flags ever made. I have to put up with being offended by the left almost constantly so those offended by a Confederate flags can go to straight to @ell. Seems to me the bigotry is on the other side of this issue.

[groanup]

The confederacy decided it was better to die with slaves than win without. It was their choice, and probably one of the best indicators that slavery was, indeed, by far their single most important reason for rebelling.

And not, by far, the only reason because, after all, the practice was legal under the laws of the Federal Government at the time Lincoln went to war.

And the Union decided it was better to die to preserve that Union than to allow fellow countrymen their independence.

[stand watie]

assuming that you might for ONCE be correct (NOT a GOOD presumption, imVho.), instead of posting KNOWING nonsense/UNtruths/BILGE, you would be correct in saying that the person was an oath-breaker, assuming again that the signing was VOLUNTARY.

the FACTS likely are however that at least ONE of the following are TRUE:

a. that there was no such code,

b. that they didn't sign it IF it exists,

c. that IF they signed the alleged document,that the signing was NOT in any true sense VOLUNTARY.

so in summary, i suspect your surmise is AGAIN nonsense & based on nothing but guesswork & your UNthinking, inbred,PREJUDICES.

free dixie,sw