Posted on 03/30/2006 11:38:23 PM PST by beaversmom
Tensions over immigration reform heightened in the Phoenix area's East Valley Thursday when students raised a Mexican flag over Apache Junction High School and then other students yanked it down and burned it. "I know (they) shouldn't have burned the Mexican flag," said Jacob Stewart, a 16-year-old sophomore. "I heard it was raised above the American flag and that just irked me."
He said the turbulence was tied to debates going on in the state Legislature and Congress, where ideas ranging from offering illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship to making them felons are being floated.
Freshman Chelsea Garcia, 15, and junior Brittany Ramage, 16, said the unrest had more to do with long-running racial tensions at the school.
The week's events might have sparked some anger, Ramage said, "but kids aren't too deep about that stuff."
The Hispanic student who brought the Mexican flag said he was responding to a remark directed at him Wednesday. The flag-raising, flag-burning, and shoving match that followed happened before most students arrived at school.
Six students three Hispanic and three white will be disciplined, Principal Chad Wilson said.
Officials with the Apache Junction Unified School District would not specify what punishment the six face.
Wilson did say in a letter sent home to parents that there would be "increased supervision, including additional police officers, on the campus over the next couple of days."
School flagpoles have been lightning rods across the country this week, including an incident in which a Houston high-school principal was disciplined after he flew a Mexican flag underneath his campus' U.S. and state flags.
A new political awareness among students has also been grabbing attention, as thousands have walked out on classes to join rallies in Phoenix and elsewhere. More than 100 students from Mesa's Carson Junior High and Westwood High schools marched in protest on Mesa streets Tuesday.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN
Good post, thank you.
Any way of getting Jacob Stewart's and his friends addresses? We should start a fund for these guys. Anyone else willing to donate a few bucks?
For "Thunder on the Border," click the picture:
( PS- my personal prediction? That picture will become one of the most widely distributed, and hated, pictures on the internet. The Illegal Invader lobby could not have done more damage to themselves with that "Mexican Flag Superior, America in Distress" shot if they had tried... )
I think trolling is your advocation.
Republicans could outreach to you day and night and would achieve nada.
This 'issue' is not due to the lack of proper marketing by Republicans to Hispanics! Sheesh!
Your statement implies that had we 'kissed your butts' there would be no La Marcha! What a crock!
No one is asking the "group" to apologise. That would be an 'individual' decision to be made by the immigrant. We do not immigrate 'groups' we immigrate individuals. The fact that some were here and worked illegally to landscape some scummy criminal employers yard, does not automatically translate to instant citizenship.
Oh and the idiot kid who raised the Mexican flag did this because his idiot illegal parents coached him or her to do it. RESPONSIBILITY... learn it, use it in your daily life, I promise you it will make everything better.
Oh..and I take this line in your comment as a veiled threat, not exactly going to win friends and influence people with this one:
" Again what we are seeing is nothing. If the entire Latino community was enraged that would be really noticed."
My true colors? Well its the truth. I dont see a lot of Dems really leading the charge on border security. It sort of up to us to sell the idea since we are in power isn't it. I mean thats how this whole democracy thing works. I don't expect Nancy Pelosi to care about this issue as much as Conservatives and Republicans do. So yeah we are in power and its our job to market the proposal to the American people. I hate to put it in such free enterprse terms but its the truth.
"But there aren't Irish people sneaking across the atlantic to steal our jobs."
Not anymore, but thats the exact mentality that used to exist.
Or how about another example: The Confederate Flag. Now there's a country that no longer exists, and when that country did exist it was a bitter enemy of the Union. Now there are quite a few people that would object to that flag being flown under our flag, but not quite so many on this board. If it were raised and some dems tore it down and burned it, a whole bunch of people here would be . . . irate.
I see you live up to your name.
crickets.....
This subject is a whole different thread ...
Perhaps a different thread, but it's all part of the same strategic action when you look at the big picture -- that is the deliberate destruction of the American middle class.
Anyway, teenagers are not stupid, especially when they are getting gob-smacked every day with anti-American communist propaganda. Some of them will eventually start smacking back. That's a sign of hope for America, because too many of the older people have either lost their gonads, or they are helping sell out the nation to our enemies.
Crickets or kitties?
Our kids already see it and they are ready to battle for what is theirs. I think we have a great young generation ready to take on the responsibilites of citizenship. Many are serving our country in Iraq and Afganistan.
God bless them, every one.
It is one I make a point of reading to the grandkids.
The political parties of the sovereign United States owe NO outreach to those who are here ILLEGALLY. My dear friends who are Latino and LEGAL want no part of this illegal invasion. They are as angry about it as I am.
I don't know what literature your wife reads, but why should it contain Republican advertising? I read a lot of magazines; fashion, business and political and I never look for a political party's ads - nor would I vote for someone because they advertised in one. Don't you have a television? You can tune into any major news channel and get the Republican message. You demanding outreach by representatives of US citizens to law-breakers is unreasonable (actually it's outrageous)...and yes, expecting our government to outreach to illegals by having to explain their positions is asking them to kiss butt... sorry they represent the legal citizens of the US and you are asking them to kiss the wrong a@@.
As to your last sentence "If the entire Latino community was enraged that would be really noticed." ... reads like a veiled threat to me. Are you sure you didn't just mosey on over from DU????
The rest of your post is difficult to understand.
Is it okay to say HELL YES!!!!! ?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.