Guess you can't honor the American flag during Cinco De Mayo

[The Mike]

The thing is that is the responsibility of the parents. Honestly as an educator and a parent, its my sincere opinion that schools have no business teaching any kids lessons outside of academics. Most teachers, coaches and admin do it because without the kids wouldn't get it but if kids come to school specifically to be _______s then that is home's responsibility to handle it. The dad of one of the students was on the news anyway said he was outraged and would go straight to the board, so despite it being a life lesson, the kid will just see that daddy complaining will get me out of it because that is what will happen especially with the school district's rep stating publically they disagree with it. I'm telling you when teachers and principals start playing parent things get sticky and often backfire.

 

[pixletwin]

celebrate the 4th of july or GTFO!!!!!

really? we're not supposed to celebrate the diversity that makes up our country? because honestly if you are not native american then you need to get out.......

I don't see the connection between celebrating the 4th of July and celebrating the diversity that makes up our country. Isn't that what we celebrate on the 4th of July?

 

[Shatterer of Dreams]

that's what i thought

 

[The Mike]

well i didn't start it and i've been reading a lot of ignorant statments being made in some of these threads lately. i tried to stay out but i couldn't. i apologize.

Don't apologize, but I guarantee you that most of the statements are internet bravado instead of actual opinion.

 

[pixletwin]

Well then I guess ink's point has been lost on me.

 

[Shatterer of Dreams]

Don't apologize, but I guarantee you that most of the statements are internet bravado instead of actual opinion.

could be true, but my dad's side are Cheerokees and when we go to the reservations and we see what they are going through it's hard to keeping reading all the white bravado that goes on in here.

 

[jediknight120]

If I understand the news reports, its all over here by the way, they were chanting USA over and over during the Lunch activities which featured authentic Mexican dancers and a couple of teachers took them to the office where the principal suspended them. Unless they left something out that was the chain of events that was reported.

If that was the case, then it looks like they got suspended for being disruptive, which is different. Being disrespectful in that manner shouldn't be tolerated.

If they did get suspended for the shirts, then I expect that same school to suspend any kid who wears a Mexican flag shirt on July 4th.

 

[Shatterer of Dreams]

If that was the case, then it looks like they got suspended for being disruptive, which is different. Being disrespectful in that manner shouldn't be tolerated.

If they did get suspended for the shirts, then I expect that same school to suspend any kid who wears a Mexican flag shirt on July 4th.

kids don't get the 4th of July off anymore? that sucks.

 

[Balsquat]

I agree with what you're saying, but this is where you "be the better person" and walk away. I want to slap every "Emo" or "Frat" kid that I see in the mall....do I do it?? No.

I think schools should try to find ways to keep the kids in school instead of using any way to kick them out. Do they not do in-school suspension anymore??

In-school suspensions were the woooooorsssst....I don't wish that on any kid

 

[Jen]

I'm with Mike on this one - at most these kids should have gotten detention for being disruptive - or not permitted to attend the festivities. (not for wearing the clothing but for being disruptive during the demonstrations). But suspension - that's overkill.

This whole thing is just opening a can of worms. Before you know it there will be parents who are going to argue that Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick's Day, etc should not be celebrated at schools. This is the USA and therefore only US holidays should be celebrated if any at all. Do I agree with this...no. But in this crazy world situations like this seem to make people take extreme measures.

One example is at our airport here in Seattle. A handful of Jews were offended that there was a display of decorated Christmas trees and nothing representing Hanukkah. So what did the airport do? Took down the trees and now no holiday decorations are allowed.

 

[karamazov80]

School systems especially at the Admin level are all politics and with the district turning their back on this principal it'll blow up in his face.

My dad worked at the school administration building as a TV producer, and had lots of great stories about those silly people.

Given that, it is funny how often these idiots make such obvious political miscalculations. I guess political "survival of the fittest" is who is best able to capitalize on the whims of the parents/other administrators/school board members/etc. without making a major mis-step like the one here. I wonder how many of these people actually care about the well-being of the kids.

To Balsquat's post, after what Mike said about the kids chanting "USA USA," etc., you are probably right in that those kids seemed to be stirring ____ up. In that situation, it is trickier. Before, I was posting on the assumption that the kids were just wearing the shirts and do-rags. If you are overtly instigating kids, then that should be stopped no matter the context. But the people in charge have to consider the ramifications and act accordingly.

 

[lcummins]

Agen is 100% right. Those kids were a bunch of douche garbage...While under any other circumstances I would not agree with the school, I say suspend those kids for being jackasses.

Don't suspend them for wearing American bandannas and tshirts. Suspend them for instigating a fight with other students.

Without knowing the whole story, that might have been building for weeks, months or even years, how do you know anyone was being a "*******" or a "douche"? That's part of the problem right there... people jump to conclusions and perceptions without knowing everything there is to know... probably what happened at the school as well. If everyone just minded their own business and left others alone, this world would have far fewer problems.

Kids don't have Freedom of Speech in schools. Let's be completely honest the Bill of Rights stops at the door for kids K-12. If you look at policies and procedures at 99% of the schools in the US that is the case. I always laugh when my kids say they were just exercising freedom of speech in a class by telling the teacher to ____ off and then they got suspended for it.

They do have Freedom of Speech... even in school... but that just gives them the right to say what they want... not "when" they want.

I truly understand what your saying....
But you know these kids were decked out in all the American flag gear for a reason. Take away the politics from this situation and what you have is another case of snot nose punks trying to cause trouble for their teachers just for the hell of it.

How do you know what they wanted? For all you know, they could have been bullied or laughed at for weeks and finally decided to stand up for themselves. You really don't know... so why are you making assumptions about the situation? Why is anyone? There is the problem right there!

really? we're not supposed to celebrate the diversity that makes up our country? because honestly if you are not native American then you need to get out.......

Didn't the Native Americans originally migrate from Asia and Africa into America?

 

[Shatterer of Dreams]

The thing is that is the responsibility of the parents. Honestly as an educator and a parent, its my sincere opinion that schools have no business teaching any kids lessons outside of academics. Most teachers, coaches and admin do it because without the kids wouldn't get it but if kids come to school specifically to be _______s then that is home's responsibility to handle it. The dad of one of the students was on the news anyway said he was outraged and would go straight to the board, so despite it being a life lesson, the kid will just see that daddy complaining will get me out of it because that is what will happen especially with the school district's rep stating publically they disagree with it. I'm telling you when teachers and principals start playing parent things get sticky and often backfire.

that's the problem with most parents today, they have the unrealistic attitude that the schools take care of everything, and then something like this happens and they get all upity for the school trying to tell their kids how to behave. as i said earlier the whole thing is a lose/lose situation for the school.

 

[The Mike]

I don't see the connection between celebrating the 4th of July and celebrating the diversity that makes up our country. Isn't that what we celebrate on the 4th of July?

Now here I thought that 4th of July was just an excuse to watch fireworks and get drunk.

could be true, but my dad's side are Cheerokees and when we go to the reservations and we see what they are going through it's hard to keeping reading all the white bravado that goes on in here.

Man that is a whole other Oprah though. It is true that the Native American got the shaft three ways from Thursday.

If they did get suspended for the shirts, then I expect that same school to suspend any kid who wears a Mexican flag shirt on July 4th.

Well schools aren't traditionally open on July 4th but I get your point, although it would never happen even if schools were.

 

[Balsquat]

The thing is that is the responsibility of the parents. Honestly as an educator and a parent, its my sincere opinion that schools have no business teaching any kids lessons outside of academics. Most teachers, coaches and admin do it because without the kids wouldn't get it but if kids come to school specifically to be _______s then that is home's responsibility to handle it. The dad of one of the students was on the news anyway said he was outraged and would go straight to the board, so despite it being a life lesson, the kid will just see that daddy complaining will get me out of it because that is what will happen especially with the school district's rep stating publically they disagree with it. I'm telling you when teachers and principals start playing parent things get sticky and often backfire.

You know Mike...Allot of what you say in theory makes sense...but I can see a change in society and it is not for the better. There was once a time where kids were scared of their teachers and parents. Nowadays, parents and teachers are scared of the kids. Its just not right IMO.

 

[jediknight120]

Well schools aren't traditionally open on July 4th but I get your point, although it would never happen even if schools were.

I meant to be slightly tongue-in-cheek but failed on including the smiley.

 

[SnakeDoctor]

really? we're not supposed to celebrate the diversity that makes up our country? because honestly if you are not native american then you need to get out.......

(1) Celebrating the 4th of July is not anti-diversity -- it is pro-American.

(2) If you were born here, you are a native American. My ancestors landed on these shores before the revolution. I had a relative die at the Battle of the Alamo. I have no ties whatsoever to whatever countries my ancestors came from hundreds of years ago. My heritage is American. I don't buy that only pre-Columbus Americans are real Americans ... so everyone else should celebrate wherever they came from.

(3) People should celebrate whatever they want. If they define themselves based on their race, ancestral country of origin, culture, or whatever ... celebrate away. But, people come to this country for a reason, and that deserves to be celebrated as well. People who define themselves and their heritage as American, and who choose to celebrate THIS country should not be thought of as anti-diversity or xenophobic. We should certainly be permitted the pride of our heritage -- and having that heritage run-down inside the very borders of the country we are celebrating makes no sense at all.

SnakeDoc

 

[Shatterer of Dreams]

Didn't the Native Americans originally migrate from Asia and Africa into America?

well that's one of the theories anyways, but i see what you did there.

 

[LChinoz]

The kids are idiots for starting crap. The teachers are idiots for being overly sensitive and suspending the kids. Detention, not suspension.

 

[Shatterer of Dreams]

(1) Celebrating the 4th of July is not anti-diversity -- it is pro-American.

(2) If you were born here, you are a native American. My ancestors landed on these shores before the revolution. I had a relative die at the Battle of the Alamo. I have no ties whatsoever to whatever countries my ancestors came from hundreds of years ago. My heritage is American. I don't buy that only pre-Columbus Americans are real Americans ... so everyone else should celebrate wherever they came from.

(3) People should celebrate whatever they want. If they define themselves based on their race, ancestral country of origin, culture, or whatever ... celebrate away. But, people come to this country for a reason, and that deserves to be celebrated as well. People who define themselves and their heritage as American, and who choose to celebrate THIS country should not be thought of as anti-diversity or xenophobic. We should certainly be permitted the pride of our heritage -- and having that heritage run-down inside the very borders of the country we are celebrating makes no sense at all.

SnakeDoc

no one said don't celebrate the 4th, but ink did say that's all you should celebrate so that's the difference.