US flag is a symbol used in the context of Californian teenage ethnic and gang violence. No symbol has an absolute meaning decontextualized from where and how it's being used. Even Unionist paraphanalia is, in various contexts, a legitimate show of pluralistic patriotism, a show of resistance against England, and a show of support for the O'Neils against proud Meath and those upstarts in Connacht.The US flag is a symbol of Imperial rule over the Mexican one?
And there it is.The question is how a principal should react to those particular students, in that particular time and that particular place.
And there it is.
Yeah, that's exactly what I said.It's also a sad statement on how compelled we feel, rightly or wrongly, that we need to protect and control the environment for our brown southern <snip>. Kinda like making sure you don't let black males spend any time around white women, since you know, they are incapable of controlling their African rape-genes.
Here's my point, though. If you were in a context where you know a tacky and distasteful T-shirt was a good indicator that you maybe subjected to violence, you wouldn't think it oversensitive to react to it, no matter how tacky and distasteful.I myself think it's way, way, over-sensitive and really ridiculous to be offended by something as tacky and distasteful as a t-shirt with an American flag.
Probably a day when tensions are already running high. It's a holiday, so already people are inclined to ignore the normal rules of behavior (which to an extent is what a holiday is) and you know, it's a Mexican nationalist holiday. That seems to have provoked a semi-organized push-back from the "nativist" students on that day. Hopefully, everyone comes back the sixth feeling a little more reasonable and the school can operate under normal conditions.Farm Boy said:So, why is this specific day different? Why would use of either get a pass on any day, much less some asinine principle where one is appropriate on some days and the other on other days?
That was what I was tunneling at with my following sentence.Here's my point, though. If you were in a context where you know a tacky and distasteful T-shirt was a good indicator that you maybe subjected to violence, you wouldn't think it oversensitive to react to it, no matter how tacky and distasteful.
Yeah, that's exactly what I said.
Well paraphrased. Or should I say distilled?
No, it isn't.It's a holiday, ...
Yes it is. This isn't even a subject of political disagreement. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that occurs on the 5th of May.No, it isn't.
Kids are unreasonable, stupid, temperamental, and more. As were we. And what a great time it was.I know you didn't say that Ziggs, and your approach is reasonable. Those words were my statement. One I was hoping would capture how tremendously depressing it is to me that this could actually be the reasonable solution. Since our kids are inclined to be, and probably are, so uncontrollably and violently stupid in this instance. They learned it somewhere.
It isn't a holiday in the US at all. Why would this incident have occurred during school hours or would able to conduct banking on those days if it were a holiday?Yes it is. This isn't even a subject of political disagreement. Cinco de Mayo is a holiday that occurs on the 5th of May.
I'm sorry I've been dismissive. I wasn't aware you were afraid and feared of persecution.That said, I've no objection to ex-pats from Mexico celebrating it. More power to them. What I do object to is any celebration of this clearly Mexican national holiday resulting in Americans having to be afraid of displaying the FLAG THAT REPRESENTS THE NATION THEY LIVE IN for fear of persecution.
If it's a Mexican holiday it's still a holiday. Saying it's "not a holiday" just makes the whole matter confusing. If it's not a holiday how can it be MexicanNot officially. Not in America. It's a Mexican holiday, not an American holiday.
See that's where I disagree with you. Because by the article, and what Owen says, this isn't about some abstract school policy. This is about these students, in this school, were using it as a symbol to escalate gang/ethnic violence, exploiting a day when tensions were running high.So again, I ask if students at this school are allowed to wear shirts depicting the US flag on any other day of the school year. If they are not, fine and dandy. That's just school policy and I'm not inclined to gripe about that. If they are, and they were just persecuted on this one day because someone wanting to celebrate a foreign national holiday might be offended by it, well that's just not right.
And what a great time it was.
To be fair, the same characteristics cause us to make great art, to be madly in love, to have passion for a hobby.
Ok, you outsadded and outdepressed me. Not even the excellent wine is up for this challenge.Any tertiary benefit to "art," infatuation, or hobbies is not worth that type of idiocy. We'd be better off without it.
Maybe we should be talking about moderation. Support your club, but don't punch the guy supporting the other one. Dream, but don't get lost in them. Be passionate about something, not obsessed Be irritated that on the day you're celebrating your independence someone wants to be a jerk, but don't act on it. Be irritated that people who live in a country are celebrating the independence of another country, but don't act on it.Perhaps we're talking different types of childlike idiocy? Wonderment is amazing. To dream is amazing. The ape-like testoserone fueled crap that drives people to form gangs or watch football(either type) or fight wars can die the ignoble death it deserves. Maybe I'd muster up some good old fashioned sports-like cheer for that one.