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School Officials Tell Student to He Can’t Fly U.S. Flag on His Truck — See How Badly
theblaze.com ^ | may 14, 2015 | dave urbanski

Posted on 05/14/2015 4:32:54 PM PDT by lowbridge

Peyton Robinson said he got the bad news from a school administrator Wednesday morning.

The 18-year-old senior at York Comprehensive High School was told he wasn’t allowed to fly his American flag and POW-MIA flag in the bed of his pickup truck.

-snip

So Robinson hit his Facebook page Wednesday and let everybody know what was happening — and fellow students quickly took up the cause, driving back to school that night with flags flying from their vehicles.

“I’ll keep fighting,” Robinson told WSOC Wednesday night. “I’m not letting it go; I won’t go down without a fight.”

Students also vowed to fly flags Thursday morning at school in solidarity with Robinson — and more than 70 vehicles equipped with waving flags pulled into the school parking lot.

A crowd stood on the roadside and cheered them on, and what appeared to be a group of veterans saluted at the school’s entrance as they rode in.

(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: flag
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To: GilesB

My point about flags on firetrucks - full size, no less - is they drag on the vehicle ITSELF. Never mind it is getting flooded with exhaust. Letting it touch anything or get blatantly dirty in any fashion is part of the code, regardless of flag situation.

The Code itself states for vehicles:

(b) The flag should not be draped over the hood, top, sides, or back of a vehicle or of a railroad train or a boat. When the flag is displayed on a motorcar, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis or clamped to the right fender.*

*Note: this was changed in ‘76 apparently (my book from the ‘61 has the original). The original wording is “radiator cap”, not “right fender”. The cap was front and center.

To read this, it might be surmised that it is OK to drape the flag over the FRONT of the vehicle, as the only thing not mentioned (trunks, per se, did not exist then, so perhaps the writers did not think of saying “trunk lid”; I guess we can drape it there too). Chasses are very hard to access these days, so apparently that leaves right fender (new language). Which one might think means front OR back. Again, new-fangled only. In the old days, it was “rad cap”, which was only ever front and center.

I can see the confusion over this; but reading the rest of the code, I think it’s plain the intention. The flag is always to be in the front in other processional issues (what are positions on President’s car lately? I always saw SMALL flags - less easily desecrated - on the FRONT of the fenders), and in most groupings. I do not know why it would be different here. Likewise with the sections regarding soiling:

.....
The flag should *never touch anything* beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
.....
The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored *in such a manner* as to permit it to be *easily torn, soiled, or damaged* in any way.


61 posted on 05/14/2015 8:01:08 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: logi_cal869

He looks like pajama boy.


62 posted on 05/14/2015 8:02:37 PM PDT by wintertime (Stop treating government teachers like they are reincarnated Mother Teresas!)
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To: Smellin Salt

No, I’m not.

Seriously, it really isn’t the right way.

However, I know the purpose of this punishment, and it is not because the school is so worried about correct treatment of the Flag.

It is indeed ridiculous in its intention.


63 posted on 05/14/2015 8:03:46 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: Dilbert San Diego
We have to many enemies within who Hate America with a passion.

These people can only be cured with lead.

64 posted on 05/14/2015 8:05:21 PM PDT by MaxMax (Call the local GOP and ask how you can support CRUZ for POTUS, Make them talk!)
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To: Don Corleone

This type of determined, in the streets, loud activism is what’s needed. It’s the only thing that works anymore.

The other side has used it effectively for years, it’s about time we who are the majority started using it too.


65 posted on 05/14/2015 8:05:59 PM PDT by aquila48
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To: lowbridge

More “educators” gone wild. Many of them abuse children just as in this instance. Fools.


66 posted on 05/14/2015 8:07:56 PM PDT by ogen hal (First Amendment or reeducation camp)
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To: wintertime

The system (local press) is trying to protect him/her. They’re in bed together.


67 posted on 05/14/2015 8:20:13 PM PDT by WKUHilltopper (And yet...we continue to tolerate this crap...)
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To: the OlLine Rebel

I frankly don’t understand what you’re on about.

I don’t understand the firetruck reference at all. But I think your argument about exhaust is specious. I’m thinking about boats and where the flags are placed in regards to exhaust. No, you don’t put the flag directly in the exhaust - but she has weathered lots worse than some exhaust swirling around her.

The young man did violate flag etiquette by placing the flag on the left instead of the right - an easy mistake in automobile culture. Otherwise, he was fine.


68 posted on 05/14/2015 8:24:59 PM PDT by GilesB
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To: lowbridge

Vinyl Wrap the Truck in a Flag motif.


69 posted on 05/14/2015 8:30:59 PM PDT by Kickass Conservative (Hillary, because it's time for a POTUS without a SCROTUS...)
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To: GilesB

The words I quoted are from the Code. It is not specious.

The flag should not be put in a position where it is easily soiled; so stated in Code. Putting it on the rear as many of our firetrucks do (never mind others including plain p/u’s) is blatantly putting it in harm’s way with exhaust, dirt spray from rear tires, and touching other dirty items (such as the vehicle itself), e.g.

That is what I am on about.

I know it is not his intention, nor is it many others’. However, it still puts the flag in a bad position, including “in the back”, rather than out in front as they really should be.

I think the minor changes in ‘76 and so on did not go far enough. It is obvious what the historical meaning was, and has gotten a bit lost with the “new words”.


70 posted on 05/14/2015 8:52:52 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: GilesB

OK I finally looked at the truck in question.

His placement of the flag places it in danger of touching the (dirty) top of the roof, and the fender, as well as the possibility of the wheel well - disaster. It may also be touching the bed of the truck as is.

Again, I’m just talking strict rules - especially the spirit of the rules.

I don’t mean the boy has to be suspended, or chastised, or otherwise punished.


71 posted on 05/14/2015 8:55:56 PM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: the OlLine Rebel

The code doesn’t say exhaust swirling around - it says nothing about exhaust....that is your misapplication. Heavens - according to your standard you couldn’t carry a flag in a parade, because of all the exhaust swirling around.

A standard tenet of law and logic is this: the specific supersedes the general. In this case “in danger of being soiled” and “torn” are general. The specific naming of the position on the pickup is....specific. Except for the side he put it on - a clear violation of the code about which you are silent - the kid was fine.


72 posted on 05/14/2015 9:04:10 PM PDT by GilesB
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To: the OlLine Rebel

Careful, you are becoming like some religionists...more concerned about the rules than the object or person of veneration.

I could make the case that any placement of the flag outside a hermetically sealed case puts it in danger of being soiled or torn. And I would be right. If I were more concerned about strict application of the code than anything else, I would be right. I think you are getting to that edge when you talk about exhaust swirling around and touching the truck and the possibility of being torn while flapping in the wind.

The SPIRIT of the code is to DISPLAY the flag,not treat her as a fragile snowflake.

The kid displayed the flag with pride and honor, he got the sides mixed up, but other than that he was in compliance with SPECIFIC mentions in the code of proper display. He definitely comported with the spirit of the code.

HE DID FINE.


73 posted on 05/14/2015 9:14:29 PM PDT by GilesB
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To: the OlLine Rebel

C’mon, quit making things up. The bed of a pickup is specifically mentioned in my cite. Also, may I refresh your memory about the proper placement of the “ensign” on a boat:
“Generally, the national ensign should be displayed at the peak of the gaff, i.e., the outer end of the spar extending aft from the mast of your boat—if your boat has a gaff. If it does not, fly it from the flagstaff at your boat’s stern. If your boat has an overhanging boom or an outboard motor, your flagstaff may be offset to starboard (preferably) from your boat’s centerline.”

Aft means behind, stern means rear. And speaking of exhaust....


74 posted on 05/14/2015 9:22:36 PM PDT by GilesB
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To: the OlLine Rebel
Well, it IS improper to fly a flag from the back of a vehicle. Anything that could make it dirty or torn is taboo. I wish firefighters would stop doing that. Full-size flag on the back of a truck - flails out to hit other things, and drags on the truck, and gets exhaust. Well-intentioned, but not full respect.

Far more respect than ceding to a ban of displaying Old Glory....I have an old ball cap with the flag on it and it states, "These Colors Don't Run"....

75 posted on 05/15/2015 3:24:36 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: trebb

ping


76 posted on 05/15/2015 1:03:07 PM PDT by Craftmore
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To: the OlLine Rebel

So now we’re drawing lines as to how some people interpret the display of the flag? This is right, no, this is right.

These are young people of this country, and you should be happy that they even think about the Stars and Stripes at all. It seems that most of this generation wish to deny all it stand for.

In this case, the flag was displayed in a position of reverence.


77 posted on 05/20/2015 8:58:20 PM PDT by Smellin Salt
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