Students booted from school for wearing American flag T-shirts; Roger Ebert proposes solution

Sure, it all makes sense.

Why should American kids be allowed to wear T-shirts with the American flag printed on them in America?

Thankfully one high school administrator was equally outraged and sent the offenders home for it.

Five kids attending Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, Calif., decided to wear patriotic clothing (T-shirts and bandannas with the American flag on them) on Cinco de Mayo.  Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez told them that the clothing was inappropriate for the holiday and to ditch the bandannas and turn their shirts inside out or go home.

The kids chose option B.  And now the town of Morgan Hill finds itself in the middle of a controversy.

One of the students, Daniel Galli, said school officials told him they could wear their patriotic garb any other day, but "but today is sensitive to Mexican Americans because it's supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today."

That's what Annicia Nunez, another Live Oak High student, thinks: "We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July."

The school district seems to be wincing at the whole affair releasing a statement Thursday explaining that they "don't prohibit nor do we discourage wearing patriotic clothing."

"The incident on May 5 at Live Oak High School is extremely unfortunate," the statement reads. "While campus safety is our primary concern and administrators made decisions yesterday in an attempt to ensure campus safety, students should not, and will not, be disciplined for wearing patriotic clothing. This matter is under investigation and appropriate action will be taken."

Meanwhile, the issue has erupted in the blogosphere.

"What country is Morgan Hill in again?" asks conservative blogger Conn Carroll. "When Americans celebrate St. Patrick's Day or Columbus Day, don’t we always see American flags flying right along side Irish and Italian ones? Why are the Mexican Americans at Live Oak High so insulted by the flag of the country that they live in? Do they not consider themselves Americans first?

Progressives might disagree with Carroll.  They may argue that the students' actions fly in the face of all President Obama has done to apologize to the rest of the world for our country.

Like film critic Roger Ebert.  He has a solution.

"Kids who wear American Flag T-shirts on 5 May should have to share a lunchroom table with those who wear a hammer and sickle on 4 July," he tweeted.

-- Jimmy Orr

Photo:  One of the offending T-shirts worn by a Live Oak High School student.  Credit: YouTube

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Comments

[Mark]

Oh My Country, where have your proud Americans gone? Where have the men gone who once stood firm and permitted no encroachment on her shores?

Gone are the men of yore who watched over the freedoms guaranteed to the citizens of this once great nation.

Gone are the days of pride when the American Flag would sway proudly o'er her plains and hills.

Now are the men of this age who stand idly by without direction.

Now are the men of this age who have no convictions and know nothing of the sacrifices of their father and their father's fathers.

Gone is the country of strength.

America, your flag is flying at half-mast.....for yourself.

[Bert Bachman]

So the American Flag is OFFENSIVE?????? I used to support the hispanic community - but this kind of hatred for the country that supports them is intolerable.

It used to be that people came to America to become Americans. People like this hate our country. If Mexico is so great - why are they here?

Send all the illegals back home. They have no love or respect for the United States.

[Andre From Sacto]

"Progressives might disagree with Carroll. They may argue that the students' actions fly in the face of all President Obama has done to apologize to the rest of the world for our country."

To hell with you. As a raging progressive I stand by these students 100%. In a free country you can wear whatever the heck one wants to. To use this story as a means to attack the president or an entire political point of view is pail. It shows the same thought logic as the idiot Assistant Principal only from the other side of the coin.

[Fontano]

I have no idea why the **** they sent those students home. This is AMERICA, not "Americano" or Mexico.

[Guest]

I think the school administrator who ordered the kids to stop showing the American flag should be prosecuted for treason and/or checked for mental illness. Unbelievably poor decision-making.

[Serviced Connected Disabled Veteran]

Reality time. This is America. The Principal violated the students civil liberties. Had a Mexcian American, Russian American, Batswana American worn a native flag on 4th of July and been told to change or go home he would have been just as wrong and violated the SAME laws.
He might want to worry about students like Annicia Nunez actually LEARNING and becoming educated.

[Nancy Evans]

Roger Ebert needs to take his head out of his nether regions because in NO WAY does Cinco de Mayo come close to July 4th. First of all July 4th is America's independence day, an official holiday here in America. Cinco de Mayo IS NOT even Mexico's independence day, and is not an official holiday here. Mexico's independence day is Sept. 16th (also not an official holiday here). This is political correctness gone too far. If this had have happened on St. Patrick's Day would the students of Irish decent feel "disrespected"? I don't think so. This pervasive sense of entitlement from the latino community must stop. Under no circumstance does the flag or celebration of ANY other country out rank America's right to express pride in the U.S.A. AT ANY TIME. This is America. Thank God for those boys. It's about time.

[None of the Above]

This is unbelievable! The hispanic kids were "disrespected"? In what country do the hispanic kids believe they live? I would sue the pants off the school district!

[Anna]

No matter what a person's country of origin, they should respect the U.S. Flag while living in, or visiting the U.S.

If seeing the U.S. flag causes them to want to fight, they have a serious problem. The person who starts the fight should be punished. Wearing the U.S. flag on a T shirt should not incite any U.S. citizen to fight.

People wave the U.S. Flag on St. Pat's day or Columbus day, including the parade participants, yet no one complains.

Obviously anyone who objects to the U.S. flag being shown on a foreign holiday is likely not identifying themselves with the U.S. and this needs to be discouraged for the sake of this country's unity.

Research shows that country's that do not have a cohesive identity are countries that are not world leaders.

[John]

Cinco de Mayo is not widely celebrated in Mexico. It is a holiday made up by Corona Beer to sell its product to gringos. Perhaps the students who don't like the American flag should move to a place where the flag is not displayed. Perhaps real Americans should burn the Mexican flag next May fifth. Or July fourth. Or any day we please.

[richard robert serino]

all mexican and other countries sybols or holidays must be ban asap

[Miguel Leal]

Are these kids the new generation of Minute Men? It is pretty disgusting that their "patriotic" parents can be so ignorant to dismiss the xenophobia that Mexicans have endured and are currently fighting against. This ranks up there with the "Report an Illegal Day" that Arizona held for 5 de Mayo.

Their contempt for Mexican-American people takes the guise of patriotism. It was Arizona's lawmakers and Governor, afterall, who claimed to be colorblind.

[RJA]

you pathetic liberal.

how dare you compare American's of any heritage wearing an American flag on ANY DAY to the communist hammer. for July 4th. We are in no way like communist nations (yet) and july 4th is for those nationalist Mexican American students as well! The problem is suspending students for showing our nations single and only flag. this had nothing to do with protecting white students from "Mexican student gangs" and if those do exist, why the hell aren't they disbanded on campus? Absolutely absured. Were you being sarcastic in this post or were are you truely bleeding blue.

[John]

Why are there no comments? Is it because the LA Times keeps censoring them? They censored mine. You would think that a newspaper would be more sensitive to censorship issues. No wonder they're all going out of business. They'll probably delete this comment too.

[jason]

Exactly. Kids who wear flags, sit next to the hammer and scycle kids on July 4th. Exactly.
Cause...you know....there's sooo many kids with commie shirts on. We're thirty years late to be catching the problem. Sorry, Uncle Sam.

[James Norman]

WOW..... We have lost the South West. What was the Alamo again?

[AMERICAN FIRST]

THIS IS AN OUTRAGE. WE ARE ALL AMERICANS FIRST. IF PEOPLE ARE OFFENDED OVER SEEING AN AMERICAN FLAG WHILE IN AMERICA, WHERE 5 MAY IS NOT A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED HOLIDAY, THEY SHOULD GO BACK TO MEXICO.

[Cops are US]

I agree the colors of the United States can fly, be worn, or shown any day out of the year. The school system was wrong and should pay for their mistake.

I am Hispanic and a Viet Nam Vet, I will wear my RED, WHITE AND BLUE any time and any where and so will my children.

[LibsAreCommies]

Being an old Commie, I'm sure Roger Ebert has more than a few pieces of clothing sporting the hammer and sickle...

Liberals just think wrong.

[hachie1]

"Tho I may disagree with what you say, I will fight to the death you right to say it." (Voltaire?). That should go BOTH WAYS, you libtard b@st@rds!

[Steve Brooks]

You leftest idiots! This is America, not Mexico. An American should be able to display the nation flag any time they please! Again, this is America! I suppose that all American flags should be taken down and replaced with Mexican flags, to include the one in at the White House and Capital in D.C.? Long live Arizona!

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated primarily in the state of Puebla and in the United States. While Cinco de Mayo sees limited significance and celebration nationwide in Mexico. Translation - a day to drink and eat Mexican food.

Idiots!

[Alan M.]

Hmmm... Let's see now, the Vice Principal (a hispanic) thought that for some reason that their might be fights over these 5 boys wearing patriotic clothing, so, instead of trying to stop those that might START the fights, they sent the boys (possible victims) home?

Sounds racially motivated if you asked me! If it were the other way around, the white students would be forced to go home and would also be forced to take courses in tolerance and such...

Hmmm... Seems like this school doesn't have a policy AGAINST hate speech (they admitted some of the latino kids were yelling racially motivated slurs) OR against bullying students either.... Hmmmm....

Seems to me that the LATINO students need to be sent to classes to learn tolerance of others (that don't follow their way of thinking) as well as anger management courses and such...

Oh, BTW, 2 of the boys wearing the flag shirts ARE 1/2 hispanic themselves!!! Yep, check it out yourselves!!

Lastly, the 'Latinos' keep saying they were just celebrating a Mexican Holiday (cinco de mayo) and they should be respected for it... But wait...

MEXICO doesn't celebrate 'cinco de mayo'... And no, contrary to what some news media are saying, the 5th of May is NOT, repeat NOT Mexican Independence Day!! That isn't until September 16th!!! Duh!! Cinco de Mayo is a celebration (in the US) about when the Mexican's kicked the French army's butt in a battle (yes, ONE battle) and is only really celebrated in PUEBLO, MEXICO because that's where it happened!!

So, get it right folks... Why are we teaching this crap to our kids?? Oh, and BTW, George Washington didn't chop down any cherry tree's either...

[Seanicus]

Perhaps Roger isn't a proponent of the 1st Amendment.

[SantaAna77]

There goes the racist LA Times again.

"Thankfully one high school administrator was equally outraged and sent the offenders home for it. "

Is freedom of speech only for minorities now?

[Tex]

I was waiting for Ebert's indispensible wisdom during this time of confusion. Thank you Robert, for taking a break from your analytical breakdown of the implausibility of the plot of "Hot Tub Time Machine" to offer your wanted- nay, NEEDED opinion on this matter. I can finally get back to rasing my family.

[Greg Schult]

Go figure, look at the Asst. Principals name! Someone needs to check his citizenship! I have seen the Mexican community wear their colors on the 4th of July many times but no one mentions that. The only reason this is making the news is because of what has transpired in AZ. If you are illegal, you have NO CIVIL RIGHTS. Think about this, if the only thing that was changed was to stop giving free handouts (aka medical being the biggest) to these illegals and make them pay for services like the rest of us have to, then most people would not have such a big issue of them being here. We that pay for insurance have our premiums raised in order to cover all the non payers out there which the illegals account for most. Other states will soon follow AZ as the time for sitting back and taking a "PC" approach is over because it obviously hasn't worked.

[Mario]

Mr Ebert would do well to remember that the Constitution guarantees him the right to wear the hammer and sickle on the Fourth of July if he so chooses. As far as those students that objected to the wearing of the Stars and Stripes, on American soil, during their little celebration here is a suggestion; go back to Mexico.

[Cindy]

Wow. And Ebert wants to stay here. Why doesn't he just move somewhere else. Good lord liberals really can not be more stupid. As a side note Mexico doesn't even celebrate Cinco de Mayo as it was a little victory over the French victory in their invasion of Mexico.

[Bruce]

Roger Ebert, you are way off base. Don't forget that these students, both those with American flags and those celebrating Cinco de Mayo, are in America, in an American school. Your analogy doesn't work. These Mexican-American students should realize that they are Americans first. There is nothing wrong with celebrating your ethnic heritage, but there is nothing wrong with other students celebrating their own.

[shawn]

"Kids who wear American Flag T-shirts on 5 May should have to share a lunchroom table with those who wear a hammer and sickle on 4 July," he tweeted.

Yea. That makes complete sense. Ebert is a f***ing loon.

[Bill Cope]

'In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language.. And we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.'
Theodore Roosevelt 1907

[Joe Avery]

So sad, you can't wear an American flag in the US but you wave a Mexican flag. Sounds like racial prejudice and anti American.

[Randall C. Rogers]

How dare they tell Americans they can't wear the symbol of our Country, the American Flag. The Maexican or Latin students are also, by choice, now American's, stop the erosian of what America is 50 States on a Blue Field, with Stripes representing the 13 original Colonies that fought for freedom and the rights of all to practice the faith of their choice, have representation for taxes collected and be free. The inflamatory climate that is created by our President that over-reacts to a Federal Law, not enforced, now enacted in Arizona, has certain parts of our tapestry of population protesting, where there is no rationale.

[Joe Avery]

I hope those kids that where unable to be proud of the the very "free" country in which they live file a suit for having there civil rights violated.

[Kyle]

The kids should wear what they like. This is an over reaction that is only clouding the issue. Reasoned immigration debate is only inflamed by this type of silliness. Cinco de Mayo while representative of a holiday that is celebrated by our neighbor to the south is not a holiday here. Everyone settle down.

[RexJ123]

Hammer and sickle? We won our independence from the Soviet Union???

Roger should stick to reviewing movies. (He sucks at that, too, but he is a far better movie critic than politician or sociologist.)

[Civics Lesson]

Morgan Hill H.S., California is on U.S. soil, the public property it sits on and it's staff are all paid for by the U.S. taxpayers. There is no justifiable reason to deny the undesecrated image of our flag on public school grounds. The administrators at that school need to remind themselves and then teach their students that our flag stands for the freedom of all of it's citizens regardless of race. Public schools are creating their own problem when they put "diversity" in front of our country's history of welcoming cultures/races from all over the world to become legal U.S. citizens. Being a U.S. citizen is accepting and embracing the different cultures that make up our great country, the U.S. flag represents INCLUSIVENESS already. There is no day on the calendar when our flag is to be resistricted from display on U.S. soil, Cinco de Mayo, Ground Hog Day or Martian Leap Year Day. You do not tell a student to turn his shirt inside-out to hide the flag's image, our flag also represents the honor and the sacred blood of our citizens of all races who have given their lives and limbs for our freedoms and security.

[Brenda]

Do we not live in the United States of America? Now we cannot wear clothing with the United States Flag on it. If someone is offended by the American Flag than they should not be living in the United States and should not be recieving an education paid for by Americans. I do not understand why we have to be "open minded" to everyones ethnicity. If you want to live in America than live by our laws and be an American!

[Doug Alton]

This is hardly the tip of the iceberg. I have been fighting that same Morgan Hill school district for over two years over (reverse) discrimination! It's just that this incident hit the media airwaves. The other multiple issues with that district discriminating; are just as newsworthy, and just as wrong! The districts late apology simply does not ring true!

[Andrew]

This is garbage. Disrespect? its a mexican holiday. If the wearing of the AMERICAN flag is not appreciated, even on a mexican holiday, then leave. go back to mexico. If you were so proud of your country, why dont you live there? This is AMERICA, not mexico, and AMERICA will always come first.

[Kirk]

How sad that any student that is American would oppose other students showing pride in THEIR country.

This liberal America's vision of multiculturalism coming home to roost. Liberals want many cultures within the US so they can keep playing one group off against another to gain power. Some day that will likely lead to another civil war.

Compare that to the "melting pot" concept the nation used to be rooted in where immigrants believed in and adopted the ideals of those already in it while adding their own traditions to the country.

This example of what a cancer liberalism is to the nation.

[David]

This story sickens me that a public school admistrator whose salary is paid by American tax payers would chastise students and kick them off campus for wearing cloths with the American flag. Our brave men and women fighting and dying for this Country oversees and this is happening in our schools? What is offensive is seeing foreign flags waved around in our streets at protests, displayed in the fronts of homes year round, every where you look in LA. What an insult!

[jarrito]

"We don't deserve to be get disrespected like that. We wouldn't do that on Fourth of July."
I guess she doesn't know that Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day.

[Jim C]

Someone should tell Roger Ebert that students aren't allowed in the teachers' lounge.

[Hawkeye]

Hey, Mr Ebert! Here's an idea for you! Why don't you shut up and at least pretend that you're a patriotic American. WE LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! I applaud those students for defying the district's unfair and UNAMERICAN decision. Cinco de mayo is not even Mexican independence day! thats September 16. like I said, at least pretend, because patriotism seems to be a hard concept for you to grasp.

[Integr8d]

Leave it to the LA Times to give a film critic the final say.

Leave it to said blog to completely ignore the statements from the boys and their parents that they dress like this all of the time.

If anyone has a problem with what these boys did, stand up now and be counted. Roger Ebert is one. Anyone else?

Oh and Robert, if you read this, go ahead and wear your hammer and sickle t-shirt proudly, my comrade... They lost. And that kind of makes you a loser;)

[arg2015153]

Roger Ebert just gets worse and worse. He is so far off to the left that he has fallen off the planet. The only reason he has a soapbox at all is that his thinking is right in line with the mainstream media.

Roger: you're an adequate film critic. Stick to what you kind of know.

[Handicapper]

I doubt the majority of those with Mexican heritage among us are aware
of the specifics of their own celebration (which is NOT Mexican
Independence Day).

And, since when did Cinco de mayo become a recognized holiday in the US? Are we likely to treat the Irish, Italian, Polish, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, or any other nationality or ethnic group the same as we are expected to treat the Mexican or broader Hispanic cultures? Not likely at all.

And, what about the peoples on this continent for more than 1 thousand (in fact many thousand) years before any European... when will the politicians in D.C., or within any State, suggest and approve an official celebration/holiday/month recognizing the Native American (the Red Man, American Indian, or "The People" as many of the indigenous tribal groups in North America refer to themselves.)

I am deeply annoyed by the anti-American actions which have been occurring within our own borders for several years! Time to STAND UP and defend this country from within!

[Bob]

Only in America. People come here from different countries, abuse our resources, bastardize our traditional values, ethics, and morals, and blame us for injustice. You know what: where ever you are from, I have a simple piece of advice for you. If you don't like it, LEAVE. No one asked you to come here. This is America: home to the 50 stars and 13 stripes, home to baseball, apple pie, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty. We believe in God, and in God we trust. If you don't like it, or you don't agree with what America was built on, then LEAVE. No one's asking you to stay here. You know where the border is. Don't stand there and patronize America for being American. Just go. Please, Go.

[Jeff]

Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico's victory over FRANCE, not the United States. To consider wearing a US flag in the United States on any day or holiday could be construed as incendiary is inane. To compare the US relation to Mexico to that of communist Russia to the US is equally dubious.