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.
Actually AZ is one of the easiest states in which to homeschool your kids. They require simply a letter of intent. There are no state tests and they take the extra step of allowing you to have your child partcipate in extra-curricular activities in any school in the district. The only state easier is Texas.
I am from Texas and living in AZ right now and am ashamed to see this happening. I will be listening to local media and looking for any way to donate to this kid's legal defense.
The racial tension at schools is by and large simply a by-product of the system. Minorities are treated as victims by the gov't from the day they are born so they grow up thinking they are not equal and therefore have a chip on their shoulder. It is not the fault of this single school. In my senior year there were race riots at my school in Houston. All of this, as well as much more, make up the reasons I homeschool my children.
BUMP for patriotic attire...including your pajamas while freeping, LOL!!!
Actually, if the Mexican flag and the Irish flag had been raised on the flagpole outside a US public school, then yes, we would have had issues.
The fact that the U.S. flag was upside down beneath it only made it worse.
Though, I'm not really sure. Would it be worse to fly the flag upside down beneath the Mexican flag? Or would it be worse to remove it entirely? I suppose it depends on context.
I get really, really sick when I see this "jobs American's won't do" nonsense. Very few things disgust me as much as that.
While driving home a few weeks ago, I my fiancee and I saw a 60-something year old man standing on the side of the road in an old, wrinkled shirt and tie. He was holding a sign up. Unlike most who stand on the road with signs, he was not begging for money.
His sign read: "I need a job. Please."
And after we turned around and went back so I could tell him about my workplace, which was hiring, I had to stop a moment to compose myself. As I approached him he turned and asked me, in a voice that told me he'd almost given up, "do you have a job for me?"
This man had been put out of work because of illegals who have saturated the job market for lower-than-legal wages. Who are taking away our job market from those who BELONG in it, and are shredding our economy.
There is not a single job a legal citizen won't do. Not EVERY legal citizen is going to do EVERY job, but there is always someone willing to do it. They just aren't willing to do it for a few copper coins. They want a fair wage, and the illegal wave has destroyed that.
I just want to throw my two cents in this part of the argument, if I may.
I am not Christian, nor am I Catholic. I do, however, recall the historical significance of the tradition of "sanctuary." While it may be true that the church is doing what they do for the money, and I acknowledge it is certainly VERY possible, the fact remains that they church has always held the tradition of sanctuary as a very important facet of their operation.
I will not begrudge the church for allowing illegals to enter the church for safety.
With that said, the moment the illegal sets foot outside the church's walls all bets are off. "La ley" is what matters then.
Some people even wear their PJs out of doors these days, didya know?
It's kinda gross as some of those PJs need washin'.
According to Joe Crummy tonight, there is a defense fund set up at Wells Fargo Bank. *However* he does not have the account # posted on his website as of yet. Hopefully by either late tonight, or tomorrow, he will have the information posted so we can make contributions.
BTW, they did play a clip from the kids' father, and he is absolutely overwhelmed by the huge support they are getting. Just wait until those deposits start adding up! Anyway, keep a watch on KFYI Radio
From there, further information should be posted shortly as to how and where to help this kid!
I trust his defense team are not charging top dollar?
Do a Google for the Oceanside Unified School District. There's a pdf on there that everyone needs to read and respectfully Freep tomorrow.
I sure hope not!
The info is still somewhat premature...I think they need to contact the dad again to get the account # (Joe admitted it tonight...guess he forgot that you can't make a deposit without an account #!) He was reminded (at about 6:20pm tonight) from a caller, who tried to make a deposit. D'OH!!! You need an account number!!
Stay tuned...no one can do anything until the account number is posted. But it's coming!
Keep me informed! Thanks for the pings.
When the account number is available, I'll ping the list.
You're makin' me proud Hush.
To make contributions/donations/deposits, the account # is 2628245579.
We can help this kid. From what the father (Greg) said over the radio, the familily is extremely humbled by all of the support.
Anyone who has ping lists, or can pass ping lists around, let them know!
BTTT!
Thanks for this information!
We "CAN" help this GOOD kid!
I'm remembering something about the Lusitania about now.
Bttt
Something funny happened this weekend. I was banned from the AOL message boards for "posting inflamatory racist remarks."
All I did was suggest one of the users research the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and read about the Gadsden Purchase. I was told that saying that made the person feel defensive and I offended them by attacking their race.
Anyone else think that's going a little far?
Well, of course not. You're trying to teach real history instead of the Revisionism being taught in Public Schools. You can't do that and expect to get away with it, bucko. /sarc
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