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.
flag bump
(And I will start a thread if the Burbank threat pans out)
what about toppling the four spanish radio station antennas in Black Cyn?
Thank God you have some reasoning on this thread. I cant believe a bunch of grown men and women are acting like this and encouraging this stuff. This needs to calm down quick.
ping!
Ping! We got a winner here!! Introducing Jacob!!
Great post beaversmon, thanks.
BTTT
/jasper
That is a horrible act as well. I personally, have no tolerance for when Americans want to act like Palestinians and perform revenge attacks. Burning flags is BS, so is attacking private property! What will we have next, car swarms? As Americans we can solve our problems through reason, not by stupid tit for tat retaliatory acts. We can be better than that.
/jasper
THe whole issue has been hijacked by fanatics on both sides.
I just keep wondering where are the adults in these schools? When I was in High School, we wouldn't have even got the first flag down before an asst. principal, school guard, teacher or janitor would have stopped us!
Kid's got some BALLS! That's how we say it in America right? :-)
I hear that Mexican flag burning day is on May 5th. Just a rumor of course.
Huh?
Lets do it!
Oh, that's right it's been done...
I'm hoping that the sheeple are finally waking up.
Apparently some REDNECKs like some REDNECK people that I'm a part of in SW Virginia took their torches and trucks out to that site and chopped it down.
Those la raza types don't want to pull that shit in my part of the world or else there will be worse things to deal with than downed radio antennae.
We're out there.
How so?
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"...Patrick Henry
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