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Posted on 09/20/2007 8:15:13 AM PDT by DogByte6RER
Student tears Mexican flag; suspect remains at large
9/19/07
by Jeremy Hunt
Daily Lobo
A student took down a Mexican flag from a flagpole outside Scholes Hall Monday, tore it and took it to the Air Force ROTC office, police said.
A summons was issued for Peter Lynch, 30, by the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court for criminal damage to property, said Lt. Pat Davis, spokesman for UNM Police.
Davis said Lynch is not a member of ROTC, and it is unclear why he took the flag to that office.
Lynch has not been charged because UNMPD cannot find him, Davis said.
UNMPD investigated the vandalism as a potential hate crime, but witnesses from the ROTC office told police it was not a racially motivated crime, Davis said.
"He was frustrated a foreign flag was flown without an American flag nearby," he said. "We're basically investigating it on witness statements."
The Mexican Student Association raised the flag outside Scholes Hall on Friday for Mexican Independence Day, said Cheo Torres, vice president for academic affairs.
Mabel Gonzales, president of the Mexican Student Association, declined to comment.
Torres and interim vice president for institutional diversity Rita Martinez-Purson issued an apology Tuesday from the University for the incident.
"This sort of incident hurts everyone," Torres said. "It's something that you don't expect to see at a place like the University of New Mexico where we celebrate diversity."
Martinez-Purson said the incident caught her off-guard, as well.
"I don't think anything really prepares you for this type of vindictive behavior," she said. "Obviously, we need to have strong dialog across campus about respect for other people and their cultures."
Whether the vandalism was racially motivated or not, it was offensive, especially to the Hispanic community, Martinez-Purson said.
"There's still an impact that has to be dealt with," she said. "He did insult them. His thoughtless behavior had consequences."
The University won't tolerate that kind of behavior, President David Schmidly said.
"It's inexcusable to desecrate a flag," he said. "I'm not going to be very pleasant to deal with on this issue."
What makes the situation worse is that it was a Mexican flag, Schmidly said.
"For God's sake, New Mexico was part of Mexico at one time," he said. "There's tremendous ties, and we have a large population of Hispanics that live in our state and many of them have relatives and connections to Mexico."
A summons was issued for Peter Lynch, 30, by the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court for criminal damage to property, said Lt. Pat Davis, spokesman for UNM Police. [emphasis added]I don't care how the hate crime statute is worded in this jurisdiction, nor do I care to find out. I'll note that you are assuming that, if I stole/vandalized/whatever your American flag, it would not be investigated as a "hate crime."
Your confusion over the property issue is the real red herring here.
What makes the situation worse is that it was a Mexican flag, Schmidly said.
No what makes the situation worse is that you are such an idiot....where is the American flag? Oops forgot this is now a spanish speaking, United States of Mexico.
Your humanitarian sensibilities touch me deeply, but I am on prollem medications as we speak.
Thank you for caring.
OK.
If you say so.
“I have a Vatican flag. Should I go home to the Vatican?”
If that is your home, why sure! Do you fly it in full public view?
Raising the Mexican flag over public property requires a 2nd flag pole so that the US flag is beside it. Scholes Hall is public property of the University of New Mexico.
Raising the Mexican flag over private property (example; a residence) on US soil is legal and permissible under our laws. It represents a persons rights to fly their national flag in celebration of whatever. A foreign government needs permission from the State Dept. to fly their national flag on US soil.
Flag desecration: You are allowed to burn, tear, stomp on or do whatever you want to the American flag (as long as I am not around) because the US Court have declared it so under the freedom of speech amendment.
To do the very same things to a foreign flag are criminal acts! Why? Because until the Court took our flag and made it just a rag, it was illegal to desecrate it too. The Court made no decision separating the foreign flags from the old laws therefore it is still a crime to desecrate them.
“Obviously, we need to have strong dialog across campus about respect for other people and their cultures.”
EXACTLY! An American flag should have been flown above or to the right of the Mex flag, by law. I am so sick of hearing ‘hate crime’ I don’t know what to do. If burning an American flag is not a hate crime then this is not one either.
Hell I would have helped him.....
Actually, I would mind it, if they ran the Spanish flag up the pole, if it were done at a governmental site, and it was being flown in a place where the Stars and Stripes generally flies.
Now, if the Spanish flag, or a Mexican flag, were being flown at a consulate, or at a private residence (of *legal* residents), that would be fine.
Good thing he didn’t burn it.
Google What?
If my wife wants to fly an Israeli Flag in our front yard, no one is going to stop her. And if my neighbor in Texas wants to fly a Mexican Flag, no one is going to stop him either.
A private residence is not a public, taxpayer supported government building.
The two cases are very different.
“Ah the memories . . . of the blonde girl at Zürich International in
the blue-grey Army jumpsuit. Pigtail, and H&K 93. I would’ve married
her ON THE SPOT.”
You’ve probably seen these sorts of threads...but, if you have time,
might I suggest,
KEYWORD: GIRLSWITHGUNS
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=girlswithguns
I suspect a lot of similar threads are buried over at
KEYWORD: BANGLIST
“If my wife wants to fly an Israeli Flag in our front yard, no one is going to stop her. And if my neighbor in Texas wants to fly a Mexican Flag, no one is going to stop him either.”
Another libertarian. The U.S. flag is handled with protocols on where, how and when the flag can be displayed.
Since the demonstrations of last year, the Mexican flag has taken on a different meaning. It has become a partisan emblem, or like the Confederate battle flag, a provocation. Few people would even recognize the Spanish flag.
So you are admitting it was improper decorum to be flying a Mexican flag only?
I disagree and I'll tell you why. That Mexican flag didn't belong to whomever took it. And I'll not countenance theft for any reason except starvation.
That being said the kid who took the Mexican flag would have been far more effective if he'd organized a protest against the person being so disrespectful the the flag of the United States.
A few like minded individuals marching with signs, banners, and singing patriotic songs would have been more effective. It would also show respect for one of the cornerstones of this nation; private property rights.
L
I don’t disagree with that (much), but my statement still holds.
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