Principal sorry for kicking patriotic students off campus; Roger Ebert frustrated

Good news for Morgan Hill, Calif. students who like America.  Now they can wear patriotic clothing to school and not risk being booted from campus.

This marks a stunning reversal since an episode in which five high school students were kicked out of school for wearing T-shirts adorned with images of the American flag on Cinco de Mayo.

Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez threw the students out for wearing what he called "incendiary" apparel on Cinco de Mayo.

Turns out, school officials just acted too "quickly."  Perhaps even without thinking.

Live Oak High School Principal Nick Boden accepted the blame while apologizing Friday, saying, "In this situation, I may have moved too quickly in drawing the line of when to take preventative action."

Officials had cited concerns that fights between students could erupt because of the "incendiary" images of the U.S. flag on the holiday.

"This was never about whether students were allowed to wear patriotic clothing on our campuses. They can. It was about ensuring that our high school campus was orderly and safe," Wesley Smith, superintendent for Morgan Hill Unified School District, said Friday at a press conference.

The apology doesn't satisfy some. They want Rodriguez fired.  In fact, they've set up a Facebook page to solicit support.

Writes the creator of the page: "This blatant disrespect toward our country and anti-American infringement on a student's right to learn should not be tolerated. Take action. Sign the petition, send emails to the school and tell your friends."

Meanwhile, film critic Roger Ebert continued to discuss the situation over Twitter.

On Thursday, he recommended that the offending students "share a lunchroom table with those who wear a hammer and sickle on 4 July."

He received plenty of grief and general mockery for that statement in the blogosphere, so he took to Twitter Friday explaining he "did NOT equate the American Flag with the hammer and sickle. Some people can't read, or deliberately falsify."

Seeming to be frustrated, Ebert later said: "I'll explain this one more time: Those five kids wore matching t-shirts IN ORDER to deliberately insult Mexican-Americans."

Appearing to move on from the controversy, Ebert retweeted: "Dr. Phil shaved his mustache. Truly it is the end of days."

-- Jimmy Orr

Photo: Turns out it's not a "bad moon rising" for Morgan Hill students who prefer patriotic clothes. Credit: Associated Press

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Comments

[Ken]

How can wearing the American flag in America in an American school paid for by American taxpayers upset any Mexican American? A Mexican American is AN AMERICAN. Ebert blew it. Thumbs down.

[conraddobler]

Dumb dumb dumb...just because somebody might have a name like- oh say "Ben Padilla" - it doesn't make them any more special than anyone else- ESPECIALLY IN OUR COUNTRY....

[Clay Landon]

Hi, Jimmy.

You think those five students wore the American flag on their shirts on Cinco de Mayo because they were being patriotic. Question: what would it take to get you to sit in at my poker table?

Let me know.

Best...

[Tara Murphy]

Rodriguez should be fired for being the most incendiary figure in this story.

[Nell Breaux]

Is it any wonder we true "born here" Americans are so offended by the Illegals "Anchor children", who have no love or respect for this country, are trying to change America to the country that their parents ran from. We have lost everything we love about this country from God in school, our Christain holidays, and show of pride in country. I for one will fight till my dying day for the old beliefs of my fellow America's. My home is decorated in American decor EVERY day of the year and will always be. GOD BLESS AMERICA

[Heidi]

Good for those students they showed the guts to stand up and show true patriotism. Cinco de Mayo from what I recall isn't an American holiday it is the Mexican independence day we Americans have only used it to sell more beer and salsa, as a "Mexican-American" you are still an AMERICAN and should never be insulted by the sight of the American flag, maybe it was asst. principal Miguel Rodriguez was the one that was truely insulted. By the way I just am curious when you have become an American why do you feel the need to say "Mexican-American" I don't go around saying I am a "Scottish-American" and hanging a Scottish flag I am proud of who I am and where my family came from but I am an American.

[Sage]

The real question...why anyone should care what a movie critic thinks about politics? Ebert is the new Michael Moore of the left. It's good that he considers wearing an American flag in America insulting. If anyone is ever insulted by citizens wearing their country's flag while the insulted live IN that country & celebrate a country theyve bolted out of, they need to be smacked. Ebert included.

[Reverend Flash]

Roger Ebert and a few of the posters here are taking a very big leap to assume that they magically know what those kids had in mind by wearing the American flag on their shirts. Ebert and his supporters say it was intended to insult the Mexican-American kids. Yet, how do you insult Americans of Mexican descent by showing them an American flag? Don't they - as Americans - also have a love for the American flag? It would seem that if such an image really upset them, it could only be because - in their hearts - they aren't really Americans. If I were going to insult Mexicans on a day that they celebrate the resistance of French forces, I would wear a FRENCH flag. Doesn't that make more sense? At the very least, if hostility was the goal, you would think there would have been a less veiled, more blatant act of disrespect directly geared towards Mexicans or even Latinos in general, and yet, we have no reports of harsh words being exchanged by different groups of kids, no throwing of anything, no vandalism, and no violence. So, there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of evidence (or logic) to prove this accusation of harassment on behalf of the flag-wearers. At most, you might be more likely to say that the American kids could have been utilizing their Constitutional right to demonstrate by engaging in a peaceful protest against a school-endorsed celebration of a foreign military skirmish.
An American never needs permission before waving his flag, nor does he ever need to apologize after saluting it.

[Clotee Allochuku]

I love this country and consider myself very patriotic but come on now. Why would you wear American flag t-shirts on Cinco de Mayo other than to make a controversial statement?
You can be patriotic any day of the year and not just on this one day. The message here is crystal clear and this is what caused this mass hysteria.

[unclesmrgol]

Two things Mr. Ebert and Commenter Clay should know:
a) There were four students, not five, and
b) two of the students were of Mexican heritage.

I'm at a total loss as to how we should only be allowed to wear the American Flag 364 days of the year, with the 365th being reserved for the Mexican Flag.

As for the 4th of July comment, Ebert shows another whole level of illiteracy -- Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day -- it is supposedly the commemoration of a battle in which Mexican republicans defeated French imperial forces who had invaded and conquered Mexico. What it has turned into in recent years is a holiday advancing the concept of Reconquista -- the retaking of lands in the USA which once belonged to Mexico or to the Spanish -- a favorite topic of ethnocentric Hispanics.

A bit of pushback on the latter idea is certainly in order and entirely correct.

However, the Mexican victory at Puebla on the 5th of May is one big reason why the Confederate States of America is only a memory rather than a reality, and hence is a very good reason to celebrate with the Mexicans.

Dr. Smith will long be in his job -- he used way too many weasel words in his "apology" and chose to blame the fourth estate (which now includes bloggers, as we all well know) for his troubles. If that were true, there would be no reason for the Principal to apologize, nor for Dr. Smith to have gone before the cameras of those he disdains. My favorite statement: three fingers point back, Dr. Smith -- three fingers point back.

[Valleymom]

Ironic that the Morgan Hill students are taking the AP US history test right now. There seems to be a general lack of knowledge - and pride - among students and administration in Morgan Hill of our country's founding principles and ideals. Perhaps our education system should focus more on philosophy than culture.

By the way, to the students at Live Oaks High - if the Mexican flag is "your flag" you need to head south to find your country.

[Reverend Flash]

To unclesmrgol:
Do we even have 364 days a year to wear our flag on a t-shirt? The way I see it, if we reserve May 5th for the Mexican flag only, eventually other Americans of foreign origin will demand to get their 'special day', as well. There are almost 200 different nations in the world. If we kowtow to each of them and let them have one day in the year when we refrain from 'offending' them with the stars and stripes, that will leave us with a little over 165 days in the year when it's 'okay' to show our national pride. That's less than half of the year, meaning we will spend most days NOT being able to wave an American flag. How's THAT for freedom?

[nevadaneighbor]

It's possible that the students were, in fact, making a statement: This is still America, not Mexico.

Is there something wrong with that?

Doesn't the fact that they were kicked out, and that mostly-Mexican students protested and marched, demanding an apology, kind of prove a point that there is some crazy, PC/reverse discrimination stuff going on in this country?

Kudos to the students for making this statement and bringing this issue to national attention - even if it was innocent and unintentional.

Why should wearing an American flag make Mexican students LIVING IN AMERICA angry? They're the ones who obviously need some intervention.

[Clotee Allochuku]

If I were to dare show up on Mother's Day with a t-shirt on with "Happy Father's Day" written on it then what is the message here? Is it because I love my dad so much that I simply must display my love for him on Mother's Day? Mexican Americans are still Americans aren't they? Why must we insult them while pretending to be patriotic? This is another incident to further alienate the races. This country is supposedly a "melting pot" of cultures and people from all over the world. No one culture is superior to another. Once we accept this we can begin to accomplish great things.

[malenois25]

If this is an example of Rodriguez' decision making ability, he needs to be in another profession. The man obviously had a knee jerk reaction to a minor incident, and should be allowed to seek employment elsewhere.

[Wendy]

Heidi hit the nail on the head! There is no need to say we are African-American or Mexican-American, just "we are Americans". I also take pride in where my ancestors come from, Ireland, Scotland, England, and far enough back, Africa. I could really get ridiculous and say I'm Irish-Scottish-English-African-American.

Actually, if you live in the Americas (South or North) you should be considered an American..this is true for Mexico, Argentina, Canada, etc. I think we get "American" from the United States of America, but we should probably be called United Staters. Yes, that sounds good.....I am a United Stater.

[Wendy]

I also agree with Clotee. The students that wore the American Flag shirts definitely were instigators since I'm sure they wouldn't have worn the shirts that day if it wasn't Cinco de Mayo. And I don't think they would wear the shirts on Yom Kippur or Chinese New Year days, St. Patrick's Day, etc.

[anon]

I am grateful for the school children who stand up and declare their pride in being Americans. They are the promise and the hope of the future. God Bless America and all its citizens.

[Clotee Allochuku]

I love the United States of America and feel very blessed to be a citizen! What makes this country so special is the people bringing their various cultural heritages from all over the globe. We need to acknowledge and celebrate our differences as well as how we are all so much alike. We all want the same things out of life including RESPECT for each others' cultural heritages.

[el diablo]

I DONT UNDERSTAND I WAS RAISED IN THIS COUNTRY AND CONTRIBUTE TO ITS LIFE EVERY DAY. ALOT OF PEOPLE THAT MOST AMERICANS HAVE FORGOT ABOUT GAVE THERE LIVES SO WE CAN LIVE AS FREE MEN THE PROBLEM IS THE GOVERNMENT AND ITS CONSTITUANTS(EXCUSE MY SPELLING) HAVE ABUSED THERE RIGHT AS OFFICIALS TO CONTROL A COUNTRY THAT WAS BUILT ON FREETHINKING. THOMAS PAYNE WROTE THAT A GOVERMENT POSISION IS NOT A job but a servce to our country. everyone in politics is supposed to look at the need of the country not therre own financial gain.sorry but my understanding was they serve us not we give them a job for life. I WISH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE COULD AGAIN TAKE BACK OUR INDUSTRY OUR INTEGRITY TO SAY WE ARE THE NUMBER ONE COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.

[Clay Boggess]

It's good to see that Mr. Boden came to his senses! The 1st amendment is for everyone.

[Verballistic]

This historical summary (which I cross-checked with numerous sources) was entered as a comment to another Cinco de Mayo article by Cynthia. I'm sure she wont mind me reprinting it here, because she was quoting it all from a historical source to begin with & THIS SAYS IT ALL:

"Why should Americans savor this day as well? Because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862.

The French had landed in Mexico (along with Spanish and English troops) five months earlier on the pretext of collecting Mexican debts from the newly elected government of democratic President (and Indian) Benito Juarez. The English and Spanish quickly made deals and left. The French, however, had different ideas.

Under Emperor Napoleon III, who detested the United States, the French came to stay. They brought a Hapsburg prince with them to rule the new Mexican empire. His name was Maximilian; his wife, Carolota. Napoleon's French Army had not been defeated in 50 years, and it invaded Mexico with the finest modern equipment and with a newly reconstituted Foreign Legion. The French were not afraid of anyone, especially since the United States was embroiled in its own Civil War.

The French Army left the port of Vera Cruz to attack Mexico City to the west, as the French assumed that the Mexicans would give up should their capital fall to the enemy -- as European countries traditionally did.

Under the command of Texas-born General Zaragosa, (and the cavalry under the command of Colonel Porfirio Diaz, later to be Mexico's president and dictator), the Mexicans awaited. Brightly dressed French Dragoons led the enemy columns. The Mexican Army was less stylish.

General Zaragosa ordered Colonel Diaz to take his cavalry, the best in the world, out to the French flanks. In response, the French did a most stupid thing; they sent their cavalry off to chase Diaz and his men, who proceeded to butcher them. The remaining French infantrymen charged the Mexican defenders through sloppy mud from a thunderstorm and through hundreds of head of stampeding cattle stirred up by Indians armed only with machetes.

When the battle was over, many French were killed or wounded and their cavalry was being chased by Diaz' superb horsemen miles away. The Mexicans had won a great victory that kept Napoleon III from supplying the confederate rebels for another year, allowing the United States to build the greatest army the world had ever seen. This grand army smashed the Confederates at Gettysburg just 14 months after the battle of Puebla, essentially ending the Civil War.

Union forces were then rushed to the Texas/Mexican border under General Phil Sheridan, who made sure that the Mexicans got all the weapons and ammunition they needed to expel the French. American soldiers were discharged with their uniforms and rifles if they promised to join the Mexican Army to fight the French. The American Legion of Honor marched in the Victory Parade in Mexico, City.

It might be a historical stretch to credit the survival of the United States to those brave 4,000 Mexicans who faced an army twice as large in 1862. But who knows?

In gratitude, thousands of Mexicans crossed the border after Pearl Harbor to join the U.S. Armed Forces. As recently as the Persian Gulf War, Mexicans flooded American consulates with phone calls, trying to join up and fight another war for America.

Mexicans, you see, never forget who their friends are, and neither do Americans. That's why Cinco de Mayo is such a party -- A party that celebrates freedom and liberty. There are two ideals which Mexicans and Americans have fought shoulder to shoulder to protect, ever since the 5th of May, 1862. VIVA! el CINCO DE MAYO!!"

The above history is quoted from this website: http://www.vivacincodemayo.org/history.htm

If you scroll to the bottom of that page you will see it mentioned that this website received SPECIAL RECOGNITION from the LA TIMES on 5/1/1997!! LAT should be publicizing the unity/friendship aspect of this great holiday EVERY TIME IT COMES AROUND!!