Four more students suspended for wearing Confederate flags

al.com ^ | 10/18/01 | ap

[shuckmaster]

MOULTON, Ala. (AP) -- Four more students were suspended Wednesday from two Lawrence County schools for defying dress codes by wearing Confederate flags on their clothing.

The suspensions came as 15 other students at Lawrence County High School in northwest Alabama finished three-day suspensions imposed Monday when they showed up with Confederate flag clothing in defiance of a rule instituted by Principal Ricky Nichols on Friday.

One student at Lawrence County High School was given a three-day suspension for defying the rule, Nichols said. At Speake School, a third-grader, fifth-grader and eighth-grader were sent home for one-day suspensions Wednesday for wearing T-shirts with rebel flags, Principal Earl Leonard said.

Leonard said the students got opportunities to change into other T-shirts or turn theirs inside out. He said their parents chose to take the children home.

Nichols, in his first year at Lawrence County High School, said that since the fall term began he has been reassuring minority students and parents that there was nothing to fear from children wearing clothes with depictions of Confederate flags.

But Nichols instituted the new rule after racial slurs were used in two incidents last week.

Suspended Lawrence County High School students and parents said the shirts are a display of Southern heritage and had nothing to do with race.

[Non-Sequitur]

Considering Alabama schools are at or near the bottom of the national rankings one would think that the principal would have more important things to worry about than tee shirts.

[Publius6961]

Don't schools there get funding based on attendance?
Sounds like the kids figured out their achiles' heel.

Let's see what happens when half the school is under suspension...

[HELLRAISER II]

Thanks it's nice to see that you understand that we Southernors are proud of our heritage & this has nothing to do with hating America. You could believe that I would cover your back, the Black guys back, the Orientals guys back & who ever was on my side regardless of their race, which is more than some of these pricks would do. Some of these people don't have a clue, they probably wouldn't know which end of the gun the bullet comes out of.

[angry beaver norbert]

When I was in school in NC mountains in early 70's, we traded guns during study hall. Never a single problem. Maybe it's because we Southern boys had a few morals, and some respect.

[Fiddlstix]

Jeez! This is getting out of hand!
If these kids had showed up wearing a picture of Osama....
I guess they'd been given a gold star that day, huh?

[rogers21774]

This is crap. We suspend kids from high school for wearing t-shirts with Confederate flags, yet we do nothing to stop the LEGAL flow of enemy soldiers into our country by way of granting thousands of visas daily.

[boxerblues]

lighten up folks its only clothes. East Cleveland is wanting to make to make it illegal to wear baggy pants with your underwear showing. Does this mean they will go after the fridge repair man too?

[HEY4QDEMS]

"Doesn't your concept of the United States recognize the 1st amendment"

As a proud Amirican, I recognize the first amendment. I don't view the confederate flag as racist, but as a patriot, I do view it as the flag of the enemy of the United States.

They may as well be Nazi or Iraqi flags emblazoned on thier shirts.

The right to freedom of expression does not extend itself into puplic schools or institutions, if they want to wear offensive material on the street, they have every right to do so.

[Marobe]

Arielb & Social-, The confederate flag should be allowed. 1st Amendment, remember ??? If the children and their parents are expected to forget their honorable heritige then every Black with corn curls or a fro should be sent home for Racist behavoir. Any christian with a cross should be sent home for hate crimes cause christians kill jews and musalims. Cripes, the Civil war was the last real war the United States fought.A battle against invasionary forces of an out of control northern federal government that exercised unfair taxes against the south."Slavery" was the scapegoat excuse. The rest were about money and power. Yours in real freedom and liberty, A Northern American

[aomagrat]

The war on Southern Heritage continues.

[A2J]

"Nichols, in his first year at Lawrence County High School, said that since the fall term began he has been reassuring minority students and parents that there was nothing to fear from children wearing clothes with depictions of Confederate flags."

Guns, gangs, drugs, t-shirts.

Circle the one that you think would cause the least amount of fear.

[Marobe]

OF course not !Black Panthers represent Heritige. Your comment shows a real need for our future "PC re-education camps" so we can help with your feelings of anger .... NOT !!!!

[A2J]

"The suspensions came as 15 other students at Lawrence County High School in northwest Alabama finished three-day suspensions imposed Monday when they showed up with Confederate flag clothing in defiance of a rule instituted by Principal Ricky Nichols on Friday."

Fifteen other students, huh?

It's not much, but maybe this could be the beginning of the return of the Confederacy.

I can only hope so.

[AppyPappy]

I know I feel safer now< /sarcasm >

[A2J]

"America is falling from within and we need a few RED BLOODED Americans to step up to the plate."

And the purest red of American blood runs deepest South of the Mason-Dixon line.

Deo Vindice!

[sharkdiver]

A quick question...Do they also suspend African Muslim Americans for wearing bow ties. Do they suspend African Americans for wearing any flags associated with the vicious governments that practicing genocide by killing white farmers in South Africa. Do they suspend anyone for wearing the flags of Muslim nations in Africa that look the other way to slavery..just wondering.

[shuckmaster]

Hey Kids! Looky Here!

[billbears]

And the purest red of American blood runs deepest South of the Mason-Dixon line.

AMEN!!

What I have been seeing in the aftermath of the tragedy and with the introduction of the 'Office of Homeland Security'(at least in my offices) is a revived interest in what powers the Federal Government should actually have according to the Consitution. And it is interesting to see the minds of the sheeple when you remind them of the words the Founders actually said, instead of what the average school history books implied what they said.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Hm. Reeducation camps? Probably in Berkeley College. I'd give my teachers an earful.