Freedom of expression or cultural disrespect on Cinco de Mayo?
By GEORGE KIRIYAMA
Updated 7:58 AM PDT, Thu, May 6, 2010
On any other day at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Daniel Galli and his four friends would not even be noticed for wearing T-shirts with the American flag. But Cinco de Mayo is not any typical day especially on a campus with a large Mexican American student population.
Galli says he and his friends were sitting at a table during brunch break when the vice principal asked two of the boys to remove American flag bandannas that they wearing on their heads and for the others to turn their American flag T-shirts inside out. When they refused, the boys were ordered to go to the principal's office.
"They said we could wear it on any other day," Daniel Galli said, "but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today."
The boys said the administrators called their T-shirts "incendiary" that would lead to fights on campus.
"They said if we tried to go back to class with our shirts not taken off, they said it was defiance and we would get suspended," Dominic Maciel, Galli's friend, said.
The boys really had no choice, and went home to avoid suspension. They say they're angry they were not allowed to express their American pride. Their parents are just as upset, calling what happened to their children, "total nonsense."
"I think it's absolutely ridiculous," Julie Fagerstrom, Maciel's mom, said. "All they were doing was displaying their patriotic nature. They're expressing their individuality."
But to many Mexican-American students at Live Oak, this was a big deal. They say they were offended by the five boys and others for wearing American colors on a Mexican holiday.
"I think they should apologize cause it is a Mexican Heritage Day," Annicia Nunez, a Live Oak High student, said. "We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July."
As for an apology, the boys and their families say, "fat chance."
"I'm not going to apologize. I did nothing wrong," Galli said. "I went along with my normal day. I might have worn an American flag, but I'm an American and I'm proud to be an American."
The five boys and their families met with a Morgan Hill Unified School District official Wednesday night. The district released a statement saying it does not agree with how Live Oak High School administrators handled this incident.
The boys will not be suspended and they were told they can go back to school Thursday. They may even wear their red, white, and blue colors again, but this time, the day after Cinco de Mayo, there will be no controversy.
19 Comments
HampsterW
go fuckin figure.....the Mexicans seem to be able to wave their flag
at the drop of a hat, no problem. Heaven forbid a group of kids
wear American flag shirts in America on cinco de fucking mayo,
complete bullshit!
When is California gonna fall off into the ocean anyway???
Reaper308
This P.C shit has to stop. They should feel lucky we allowed them to celebrate cinco de mayo at school. Since when does being patriotic warrent punishment? I wonder if the school flys a flag, if so, which one is it?
OozeRat
Freedom of expression or cultural disrespect on Cinco de Mayo?
If your're offended by the American flag please feel free to leave our country. Isn't the chance someone will say or do something you find offensive just part of the price we pay to live in a great country where everyone is free to express their own views?
HampsterW
YES YES YES!!
Pkato
but how they were displaying the flag (on headwear/t-shirts) etc is not proper display of the flag in the first place...just something to think about! But this was uncalled for.
Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself.
They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone
under independence. -- George Washington
HampsterW
agree with improper display, T-shirts not so much.
raffycanlas
i always wear my team USA baseball cap, NRA shirts, army shirts and shirts that is adorned with the flag and the eagle.
clintlebo
I am not sure that having a flag represented on a t-shirt is the same as displaying the flag.
Can anyone shed some light on this? Perhaps the "proper way to display the flag" can be explained to me as well.
thank you
clint
HampsterW
from reading US code chapter 4 chapter 1 (the flag code) you are
correct. I agree with Pkato with the headgear not being appropriate
beacause it is in effect an actual flag not a representation of one.
Anonymous
It is the universal custom to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness.
The flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously.
The flag should not be displayed on days when the weather is inclement, except when an all weather flag is displayed.
The flag should be displayed daily, on or near the main administration building of every public institution, in or near every polling place on election days, during school days in or near every schoolhouse.
No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, for personnel of the Navy, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag.
No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof: Provided, that nothing in this section shall make unlawful the continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the flag of the United Nations in a position of superior prominence or honor, with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the United Nations.
The flag of the United States of America, when it is displayed with another flag against a wall from crossed staffs, should be on the right, the flag's own right, and its staff should be in front of the staff of the other flag.
The flag of the United States of America should be at the center and at the highest point of the group when a number of flags of States or localities or pennants of societies are grouped and displayed from staffs.
When flags of States, cities, or localities, or pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard with the flag of the United States, the latter should always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or pennand may be placed above the flag of the United States or to the United States flag's right.
When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.
When the flag of the United States is displayed from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle from the window sill, balcony, or front of a building, the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of the staff unless the flag is at half-staff. When the flag is suspended over a sidewalk from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, union first, from the building.
When displayed either horizontally or vertically against a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the flag's own right, that is, to the observer's left. When displayed in a window, the flag should be displayed in the same way, with the union or blue field to the left of the observer in the street.
When the flag is displayed over the middle of the street, it should be suspended vertically with the union to the North in an East and West street or to the East in a North and South street.
The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
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.
The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
Anonymous
WEARING APPAREL, DRAPERY
The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of a platform, and for decoration in general.
No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
HampsterW
United states code title 4 chapter 1
http://uscode.house.gov/download/pls/04C1.txt
greg az
If you're a vet, it's now appropriate to "salute" the flag during all ceremonies where the national anthem is played.. something pushed by VFW, and American Legion..
This was pushed thru Congress by Pete Hoekstra.. (guessing that Sp is half close)
At any rate .. yep, salute is now appropriate vs the old hand over heart thing.. Nothing pizzes me off more than seeing a bunch of million dollar baby athletes who are shucking and jiving while the anthem plays.. That was one thing about old Carl Malone.. When Utah was playing, Malone would stand at attention and stare at those colors..
photobear6
if it wasnt a flag of used by this country or Ole Glory herself take it down or off and if you dissagree get the fuck out of my country.
greg az
I never thought I'd see this happen.. I always thought you had the best avatar in the house.. Now every time i look at the little guy i see the "muff"... hep me brother hep me..
Maybe if i don't look at the other pic for awhile that will go away... Sure hope so, don't change out the little guy yet... Shit that was the wrong choice of words.... Sheesh
greasy i sent ya pm did ya get it.. I can only sit on Glorias chair to get email for about 2 min before i max out..
Anonymous
people started flying flags on their cars etc and I remember seeing articles in newspapers and such about proper flag useage and wearing.if my recaqll is recalling then this shirt wasnt the right use of the flag
clintlebo
I opened the link Hamp sent me, but I am still a little confused. The code mentioned representation of the flag, but it refered back to section 1 which describes how the flag should look; therefore, I interpret the code as approving the representation of the flag okay to print on a t-shirt. Anyone else interpret the code different?
clint
HampsterW
I guess I pushed ole sam a wee bit too far and he "corrected" me
with a vengance........It has the same effect on me bud, every time
I see my avitar I am reminded of that horrid man like creature with
a shotgun blast for a snatch.......cringe!!!!
Builtf0rdtough
since when do other countries rights count more than ours, why should we Americans have to put or patriotism aside for someone else? since when has politically correct taken over for common sense and American pride, since when do American presidents call Americans stupid and greedy and uncaring? What is happening to our country? No other country deserves to have rights impeading our American rights in OUR country. Politically correctness is BS, I believe, whether it be right or wrong, that we ought to go back to the days of commen sense and rid ourselves of this "politically correct" era of living. Clearly the American people are on the backburner now days and our way of life is put in the dumps.