Author Topic: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag  (Read 29584 times)

Irongrip400

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #25 on: October 17, 2013, 01:25:32 PM »
Judge: School Can Ban American Flag Shirts
Nov 10, 2011

A federal court has ruled that a California public school had the authority to prevent students from wearing clothing emblazoned with pro-American messages on the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo.


U. S. District Court Judge James Ware was ruling in a case involving students at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, CA, who were banned from wearing American flag t-shirts on the Mexican holiday in 2010.

The judge determined that the Morgan Hill Unified School District did not violate the First Amendment and said that concerns by school officials over possible violence justified censoring the pro-American message.

“The school officials reasonable forecast that Plaintiff’s clothing could cause a substantial disruption with school activities, and therefore did not violate the standard set forth – by requiring that Plaintiff’s change,” the judge wrote.

“This is nothing more than political correctness,” said John Whitehead, president of the Rutherford Institute. His organization, along with Thomas More Law Center, represented the students and their families in the lawsuit.

“If these kinds of decisions are upheld, they will destroy our First Amendment rights,” Whitehead told Fox News.

The lawsuit stems from an incident that generated national attention last May when three students wore patriotic t-shirts, shorts and shoes to class.

Whitehead said the boys were approached by assistant principal Miguel Rodriguez who instructed them to  either remove their pro-American shirts or turning them inside out.

“The students were told their shirts would offend Hispanics,” Whitehead said.

The students refused to change because they said it would be disrespectful to the flag. At that point, Whitehead said they were ordered to the office where Rodriguez allegedly lectured the trio on Cinco de Mayo and told them that their clothing would offend Hispanic students on “their” day.

Whitehead said the school’s behavior was incredibly offensive.

“It’s offensive to most Americans,” Whitehead told Fox News. “The symbol of America is the American flag.”

The school district maintained their only concern was student safety – and that’s why they asked the boys to change their shirts.

Wes Smith, the superintendent of the school district, told Fox News that he is “very satisfied with the decision.”

“We were encouraged to hear that the federal court found student safety paramount,” Smith said. “The other finding – that we did not infringe or deny students their First Amendment rights was also encouraging.”

Rutherford said they plan on appealing the judge’s decision, arguing that it sends a terrible message to students.

“It teaches students that at any moment, any time, a state official can shut down free speech and that’s what we’re going to fight against,” he said.

Smith noted that the 2011 Cinco de Mayo celebration went off without a hitch.

http://radio.foxnews.com//toddstarnes/top-stories/judge-school-can-ban-american-flag-shirts.html

I just read about this, and it is what I was looking for when I just logged in, to see if anyone saw that.  Fucking dumb ass school administration.  How about keep your fucking kids under control instead of sending them home for wearing a flag t shirt.  They are not the problem.

RRKore

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #26 on: October 17, 2013, 09:31:49 PM »
Dude should by his own house or property, then he can put all the flags he wants up.  Since the management company owns that complex they have every right to enforce their own terms and conditions.  Letting patriotism infringe on private property rights is unpatriotic. 

Sucks but it's the truth.  Dude probably isn't allowed to grill on his porch, either.

RRKore

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #27 on: October 17, 2013, 09:34:58 PM »
Judge: School Can Ban American Flag Shirts
Nov 10, 2011

Smith noted that the 2011 Cinco de Mayo celebration went off without a hitch.

http://radio.foxnews.com//toddstarnes/top-stories/judge-school-can-ban-american-flag-shirts.html

What the hell, BB?  This story is from almost 2 years ago but lacks an update.  So is this now the political history board?  Lame.

RRKore

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #28 on: October 17, 2013, 09:37:07 PM »
Retired Police Officer Reportedly Told to Remove Flag Honoring Victims of 9/11
Published November 20, 2011
FoxNews.com

A retired New York City police officer living in Florida has been ordered to take down his flag commemorating September 11 by his homeowners’ association, WPLG reports.

Richard Wentz, who helped victims out of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, has been told he has just days to take down his flag or face possible legal action.

"That flag means the world to me. Other than my children, that flag means the world to me," said Wentz.

A letter from the Fairways at Heron Bay association said the flag detracts from the aesthetic harmony of the surrounding properties. Wentz said he was confronted by Patricia Favata, president of the property’s board of directors, according to the station.

No one was at Favata's home when WPLG Local 10 tried to talk to her.

Wentz said he ran into Tower 1 and started pulling out people before the building collapsed. He said he lost 43 friends and colleagues that day.

Wentz says he now has cancer, from breathing in all the particles during the cleanup of Ground Zero.

"I will not take that flag down. That flag will remain up. I don't care how many fines they want to give me, how many notices they want to give me, I refuse to take that down," Wentz told the station.

Click for more on the story from Local10.com

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/20/retired-police-officer-reportedly-told-to-remove-flag-honoring-victims-11/?test=latestnews

Third copy pasta'd story in a row from November 2011?  Did Beach Bum invent a way back machine?  What gives?

Dos Equis

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #29 on: October 18, 2013, 10:27:38 AM »
What the hell, BB?  This story is from almost 2 years ago but lacks an update.  So is this now the political history board?  Lame.

Watch you talkin bout Willis??  This thread was created in November 2011, not yesterday.   

Dos Equis

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #30 on: May 06, 2014, 11:08:57 AM »
Good.

Protesters wave American flags outside school that banned them on Cinco de Mayo
By Jessica Chasmar
The Washington Times Monday, May 5, 2014

Free-speech supporters rallied outside a Silicon Valley high school Monday morning after the 9th Circuit Court upheld the school district’s decision to ban students from wearing American flags on Cinco de Mayo.

About 30 people silently held American flags outside of Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, the San Jose Mercury News reported. “No trespassing” signs and a large fence now surrounds the school, where a nationwide controversy erupted four years ago.

Latino students had complained after four Live Oak students came to the school on the Mexican holiday wearing American flag T-shirts. Administrators told the students to turn the T-shirts inside out or go home.

“Apparently they don’t want the children to be exposed to democracy in action,” said Gilroy-Morgan Hill Patriots President Georgine Scott-Codiga, a local ABC affiliate reported.

The story caused nationwide controversy concerning the students’ safety and their rights to free speech. An appeals court ultimately ruled in favor of the school district, arguing that the concerns of racial violence outweighed students’ freedom-of-expression rights. Apparently, the high school had a history of problems between white and Latino students on that day.

A number of Latino residents spoke out against the rally at a recent school board meeting and urged to have it moved elsewhere. Miss Scott-Codiga promised the rally will be “peaceful,” a local CBS affiliate reported.

Morgan Hill resident Joseph Carillo has planned a Cinco de Mayo counter-protest at the school.

“I think it’s better to promote Cinco de Mayo as Cinco de Mayo, and not as an American protest,” he said.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/may/5/protesters-wave-american-flags-outside-school-bann/#ixzz30xaaXKsQ

Dos Equis

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #31 on: September 22, 2014, 02:10:25 PM »
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Sides Rules Against the American Flag
September 18, 2014 By Jennifer Burke

On Wednesday, America celebrated Constitution Day. It was also the day that a ruling came from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding the case out of California where the principal at Live Oak High School made four students remove their American flag t-shirts, which they wore on May 5, Cinco de Mayo, because the principal said students of Mexican heritage might view the shirts as offensive.
 
The principal, Miguel Rodriguez, said he was concerned the American flag shirts would be seen as incendiary and lead to violence. It should be noted that other students were wearing Mexican flag shirts and flying Mexican flags at this American high school.

The Daily Caller reports on the court’s ruling.

Our role is not to second guess the decision to have a Cinco de Mayo celebration or the precautions put in place to avoid violence,” the court modestly observed. “Here, both the specific events of May 5, 2010, and the pattern of which those events were a part made it reasonable for school officials to proceed as though the threat of a potentially violent disturbance was real.”

Consequently, the court proclaimed, Rodriguez acted constitutionally when he told students to turn their American flag shirts inside-out or hit the road with an excused absence because he was trying to prevent potential violence.

http://www.tpnn.com/2014/09/18/ninth-circuit-court-of-appeals-sides-rules-against-the-american-flag/

Dos Equis

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #32 on: September 25, 2014, 05:02:59 PM »
School tells kids to remove American flags on 9/11
By Todd Starnes
Published September 17, 2014
FoxNews.com


FILE -- Sept. 10, 2014: Members of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity place American flags in the yard in front of their house on the University of Mississippi campus in Oxford, Miss. The fraternity placed about 3,000 flags for the people killed in the 9/11 attacks. (AP Photo/The Daily Mississippian, Thomas Graning)

Sometimes good intentions have unintended consequences. Just ask the principal of Woodruff High School in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Principal Aaron Fulmer made national headlines this week after he directed students to remove American flags from their pickup trucks on September 11.

The patriotic teenagers had mounted large American flags in their truck beds – in violation of a longstanding school policy.

American flag bumper stickers are fine. So are American flag T-shirts. But students simply cannot fly American flags in their pickup trucks.
The policy, which has been in place for more than 20 years, bans anything that creates a disturbance on campus or draws an unusual amount of attention to itself.

“A bumper sticker is not going to do that from a distance, but a pole flag is,” Superintendent Rallie Liston told me in a telephone interview. “The American flag was never an issue for us. It was never anti-American flag. It was just no pole flags – period.”

Liston said the original rule was created to prevent students from showing up at school with Confederate flags.

“It was inflammatory,” the superintendent told me. “Finally, we reached a point where we said no more pole flags.”

American flag bumper stickers are fine. So are American flag T-shirts. But students simply cannot fly American flags in their pickup trucks. Such behavior is impermissible. 

As the superintendent explained, it prevents someone from showing up with something offensive.
“If it’s an American flag – everybody is excited about it,” he said. “But what if it’s the Nazi flag or another flag you might not be congruent with?”

As you might imagine, the school’s decision has led to lots of protests and name-calling. A group of parents even stood outside the school waving American flags.

Superintendent Liston says all the anti-American accusations are just as far from the truth as can be.

“These are the most God-fearing, flag-waving, patriotic people you will ever find,” he said. “They are God and Country.”

But he said that with the growing fears over the Islamic State as well as the 9/11 commemoration – he realized at bit of hindsight was necessary.

“We dropped the ball with 9/11,” he told me matter-of-factly. “In hindsight we apologize to any veteran or service person for this happening. That was not our intent. It was just a rule that has been consistently enforced.”

In the meantime, he said there’s a good chance that next year the school will host a special program commemorating 9/11.

“I don’t want to ever get in the position where we take the American flag down again,” Liston told me.

Superintendent Liston seems like a true Southern gentleman – and I believe his apology is sincere.

As we say in the South – you know when somebody’s cooking your grits. And Superintendent Liston was not cooking my grits.

Nevertheless, it’s deeply troubling when any public school suppresses the patriotism of American teenagers.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/09/17/school-tells-kids-to-remove-american-flags-on-11/?intcmp=obnetwork

2Thick

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #33 on: September 26, 2014, 03:04:42 PM »
^ They wouldn't say shit if it was a Mexican or African or a muslim nation's flag - or any other country's flag other than the US... or even an Isis or other fanatics' flag, for that matter.  It would be all about "tolerance" then. ::)
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chadstallion

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #34 on: September 27, 2014, 04:39:08 PM »
^ They wouldn't say shit if it was a Mexican or African or a muslim nation's flag - or any other country's flag other than the US... or even an Isis or other fanatics' flag, for that matter.  It would be all about "tolerance" then. ::)
links?
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Archer77

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #35 on: September 27, 2014, 04:45:07 PM »
links?

Haven't you read up on this situations and others like it?   Are you posting only to be a contrarian? Would you mind explaining the situation to me? 
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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #36 on: September 28, 2014, 12:49:50 AM »
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Sides Rules Against the American Flag
September 18, 2014 By Jennifer Burke

On Wednesday, America celebrated Constitution Day. It was also the day that a ruling came from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding the case out of California where the principal at Live Oak High School made four students remove their American flag t-shirts, which they wore on May 5, Cinco de Mayo, because the principal said students of Mexican heritage might view the shirts as offensive.
 
The principal, Miguel Rodriguez, said he was concerned the American flag shirts would be seen as incendiary and lead to violence. It should be noted that other students were wearing Mexican flag shirts and flying Mexican flags at this American high school.

The Daily Caller reports on the court’s ruling.

Our role is not to second guess the decision to have a Cinco de Mayo celebration or the precautions put in place to avoid violence,” the court modestly observed. “Here, both the specific events of May 5, 2010, and the pattern of which those events were a part made it reasonable for school officials to proceed as though the threat of a potentially violent disturbance was real.”

Consequently, the court proclaimed, Rodriguez acted constitutionally when he told students to turn their American flag shirts inside-out or hit the road with an excused absence because he was trying to prevent potential violence.

http://www.tpnn.com/2014/09/18/ninth-circuit-court-of-appeals-sides-rules-against-the-american-flag/

An interesting decision - I'm using the term loosely - and from a very interesting panel... this ought to be taken up to the Supreme Court, but I doubt they'll grant cert.

2Thick

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #37 on: September 28, 2014, 01:30:11 PM »
A

chadstallion

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #38 on: September 28, 2014, 02:45:27 PM »
Links to what?
to the "they" my original remark was addressed. The original poster started his statement by saying....."THEY......"
so, who are they? where are your links showed who "they" are to which you refer.
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chadstallion

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #39 on: September 28, 2014, 02:46:21 PM »
Haven't you read up on this situations and others like it?   Are you posting only to be a contrarian? Would you mind explaining the situation to me?  
why should I have to explain to you; you were the one that stated, "THEY......" and I'm asking who 'they' are. other than your own opinion. you must have some source to quote.
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Dos Equis

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #40 on: September 29, 2014, 03:28:52 PM »
College student told to remove American flag from apartment balcony
Management clarifies rules after talking to Team10
10News Digital Team , Melissa Mecija
5:27 PM, Sep 19, 2014
11:54 AM, Sep 21, 2014

SAN DIEGO - A local college student contacted Team 10 after he said his apartment complex managers told him he needed to take down his American flag.

Brad Smith moved into the new Boulevard 63 Apartments last month. The property is not owned or operated by San Diego State University.

A couple days ago, he received a notice to remove the American flag hanging from his balcony.

Smith asked the apartment community managers why.

"We were then told that it was for political reasons and that the flag could offend foreign people that live here, foreign exchange students," Smith said.

That did not sit well with the SDSU sophomore.

"I've had friends and family fight to defend that flag," Smith said.

Team 10 took a closer look at the lease and the community rules.

The rules do say "no signs or other personal property may be kept outside the premises" and management determines what is "permissible and acceptable."

Even the notice that Smith got said flags could not be displayed.

"This was never brought to my attention, saying this is the reason right here," Smith said.

Team 10 contacted an attorney who specializes in tenant-landlord issues. He said apartment complexes do have rules that regulate visible areas such as balconies.

"Clearly, they want to keep it clean and that's something they want to accomplish. It's a compelling reason, but it's hardly a reason that's going to overcome your free speech," said attorney Christian Curry.

The community manager told Team 10 anyone that displays a banner or flag will receive a notice.

However, a representative with the apartment complex owner later said something different.

Melanie Flaherty, the vice president of marketing for Carmel Partners, said, "We allow state and country flags."

She said there was a "misunderstanding" between the tenant and the community managers and the rules will be changed.

Team 10 informed Smith about the change. He said that is what he was hoping to achieve and believes the flag should continue to hang proudly.

http://www.10news.com/news/investigations/american-flag-at-center-of-controversy-at-college-area-apartment-complex-09192014

Archer77

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #41 on: September 29, 2014, 04:00:22 PM »
why should I have to explain to you; you were the one that stated, "THEY......" and I'm asking who 'they' are. other than your own opinion. you must have some source to quote.

What are you rambling on about?  They?  You don't seem to be very knowledgeable about the subject. Hell, you didn't even pay enough attention to the conversation in this thread to realize I'm not the one who wrote they.  Can you explain the situation to me? Do you have an opinion on it?    I know you don't like the right leaning posters on getbig and your only reason for posting in this thread to whine and be confrontational. Contribute something construction or get the fuck out.  You're boring everybody with your predictability.

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chadstallion

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #42 on: September 30, 2014, 11:49:19 AM »
Contribute something construction or get the fuck out. 
contribute some construction.
ok, a building or bridge diagram?
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Dos Equis

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #43 on: October 28, 2014, 11:10:08 AM »
Flag flap: Indiana veteran, wife battle homeowners association over Old Glory
By Joshua Rhett Miller
Published October 28, 2014
FoxNews.com

Bob Willits, 82, of Greenfield, Ind., insists he'll fight a local homeowners Association over the American and POW/MIA flags outside his home. (FOX59.com)

An elderly veteran and his wife say there’s “absolutely no way” the flagpole outside their Indiana home is coming down, despite threats from a homeowners association — and a local prosecutor intends to back them in court if necessary.

Bob and Judy Willits insist they intend to fight multiple letters from the Fieldstone Homeowners Association regarding the American and POW/MIA flags outside their Greenfield home. The couple was first told in early September that the freestanding patriotic display wasn’t welcome since it wasn’t mounted to the home.

“We have absolutely no plans to take it down,” Judy Willits told FoxNews.com on Tuesday. “It would be kind of a bloody situation if we had to take the flag down at this point.”

Judy Willits said her 82-year-old husband served four years during the Korean War and now suffers from Parkinson’s disease, as well as a lung ailment that limits his mobility. She said they wanted to show their devotion to the country and sense of community when they first put up the flags around July Fourth.

“He’s paid his price. He doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment. And we never thought this would be a problem.”
- Judy Willits
“He’s paid his price,” she said. “He doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment. And we never thought this would be a problem.”

Local authorities apparently don’t think it should be an issue, either. Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Griffin addressed the homeowners board in an Oct. 23 letter, saying he intends to file a lawsuit if the matter is not resolved by Nov. 1.

“According to the board’s letter dated Oct. 18, the board takes the position that it has authority under the ‘time, place, or manner’ provision of the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005,” the letter reads. “In relying on ‘time, place, or manner,’ the board interprets its authority much too broadly.”

The Flag Act, Griffin wrote, actually prevents homeowners associations from enforcing most kinds of regulations regarding display of the American flag unless a “substantial interest” exists.

“The association apparently assumes that it has a legally‐sufficient ‘substantial interest,’” Griffin’s letter continued, noting the association has cited outdoor maintenance as one reason it has oversight of the pole. But, Griffin wrote, "Every homeowners association has those interests. If those general interests were enough, the law would not require a ‘substantial interest,’ it would simply say that homeowners associations always have the right to regulate ‘time, place, or manner.’ But the law does not say that. The law requires a ‘substantial interest,’ something more than the usual interests of homeowners associations.”

Judy Willits said the real issue is the flagpole in the center of a flower bed in the home’s front lawn.

“They want to penalize us for having the flag,” she said. “They say it’s too hard for landscapers to mow, but it’s not in the way. Our argument is it doesn’t hurt anybody.”

Kaye Eckert, president of the homeowners board, confirmed that the flagpole is the crux of the problem.

“We do not tell anyone they cannot fly a flag,” she told FOX 59 last week. “What we are having a problem with is the flagpole. Flagpoles are not allowed in this association. It’s never, ever been about the flag, which that’s what seems to come to the foreground all the time.”

Judy Willits said her husband — whose brother, also a veteran, never returned from Korea — shouldn’t have to fight all over again for the right to fly the flag.

"This really hurts us," she told FoxNews.com. "And unless the courts make us take it down, we’re not going to take it down."

Bob Willits agreed, telling FOX 59: "They can't force me to take it down."

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/10/28/indiana-veteran-wife-vow-not-to-take-down-flag-in-homeowners-flap/

Dos Equis

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #44 on: January 22, 2015, 08:42:02 AM »
Vandals burn school’s American flag donated by Marine
January 21, 2015
Kyle Olson

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – A Marine was nearly reduced to tears when he discovered the American flag he donated to a school lacking one had been burned by vandals.

First Sergeant Reginald Daniels donated a flag to Oregon’s Brattain Early Learning Center when he discovered its flag pole was bare.

A few days later, the school called, asking him how much it cost.

“They needed a price tag on the flag,” Daniels tells KVAL, “and I was like, ‘Why do they need that?’ And they said that the flag was burned.”

He went to the school and visited the teachers.

The Marine says someone burned the flag and left it flying at half-staff.

“Some of the teachers kind of teared up a little bit and then they took me in to the back room and showed me the flag that was burned,” Daniels says.

“I was lost for words,” he said, choking up, “to see that someone had pulled the flag down off the pole and burned it.”

Undeterred, Daniels gave the school a new flag.

“The flag represents something a lot bigger than all the military services,” he told the news station.

“We put the uniform on to protect it, so that you and I and the little kids in the school can have something better. “It’s bigger than you taking the time to burn the flag in our own country.”

Daniels served a total of three tours in Afghanistan in Iraq and has two children.

And he’s proud of America.

“I love this country and what it stands for. I know everybody has their views, but I think everybody can have something that they can look proudly at, and that’s – I take pride in the flag,” he says.

“Someone out there thinks that this is OK. And this is the exact reason why I wear this uniform, so that – to show them that it’s not.”

http://eagnews.org/vandals-burn-schools-american-flag-donated-by-marine/

Dos Equis

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #45 on: March 04, 2015, 09:22:25 AM »
Texas Man Told to Remove American Flag Because It Was a ‘Threat’ to Muslims (Video)
By Top Right News on February 10, 2015 in Islam
by Jason DeWitt | Top Right News

Since when is it offensive to display the American flag — in AMERICA?

That’s what one Texas man was wondering last week.

Go out to the balcony of Duy Tran’s apartment, and you’ll see something he is very proud of: an American flag. “It means a lot to me,” he told KHOU-TV in Houston:

But Tran said the manager of the Lodge on El Dorado apartments doesn’t see it that way, and told him he had to take down his flag because it’s a “threat to the Muslim community.”

What? Tran said the reasoning stunned him: “I’m not a threat toward anybody.” Tran heard that some of his Muslim neighbors complained. About what? Are these citizens? Legal immigrants? Refugees? What country do they think they are living in?

The property managers refused to answer such questions and had a police officer escort a reporter off the premises, leaving it a mystery who were the Muslims who complained and whether the owner was Muslim. They also issued this bizarre statement, which read in part:

“While the Lodge on El Dorado admires our resident’s patriotism, we must enforce our property rules and guidelines. Such guidelines maintain the aesthetics of our apartment community and provide for the safety of all residents. The apartment community already proudly displays our country’s flag in a safe and appropriate manner at the entrances to our community.”

 Safety? Safe? So the American flag is a threat to “others”, in this case Muslims, and they need to remove it to keep them safe? Insanity.

Tran doesn’t care what they think. He will not remove Old Glory.

“I’m gonna leave my flag there, as an American, until she shows me proof that I don’t have the right to leave my flag there,” Tran told the station. “I have friends that died for this country.”

The station reported that no complex residents would come forward to state their objections about Tran’s flag and that several of his neighbors said they want his flag to stay there. Duy Tran points out that several of his friends died defending this nation, and he should have the right to express himself at his home.

So our flag is a threat” to Muslims despite no Muslims going on record opposing it. The Redskins are “disparaging to Native Americans” despite the vast majority of Native Americans polled saying they have no problem with the name. See a pattern here? The symbols of America and American exceptionalism are under constant attack by the left and this administration.

We salute Duy Tran for standing strongly on America’s side.

His landlord? Not so much. If you want to find out why (since they dodged the press) you can contact them HERE.

http://toprightnews.com/?p=3912

Dos Equis

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #46 on: March 06, 2015, 06:29:42 PM »
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.  If these are the future leaders of our country, then God help us.   :-\

This part is funny.  And true:  "The resolution passed 6-4. Two people abstained. Let me break down the vote for you -- six unAmerican students, four patriots and two individuals who could have a career in House Republican leadership."

Students at UC Irvine vote to ban American flag
By Todd Starnes
Published March 06, 2015
FoxNews.com

Students at the University of California, Irvine have voted to make their school a more “culturally inclusive” place by banning the American flag.

The Associated Students of University of California (ASUCI) passed a resolution March 3 that would remove the Stars & Stripes along with every other flag from the lobby of a complex housing the offices of the student government.

“Designing a culturally inclusive space aims to remove barriers that create undue effort and separation by planning and designing spaces that enable everyone to participate equally and confidentially,” read the resolution authored by Matthew Guevara.

The resolution passed 6-4. Two people abstained. Let me break down the vote for you -- six unAmerican students, four patriots and two individuals who could have a career in House Republican leadership.

Guevara’s resolution, which was in dire need of an edit, rambled on about “paradigms of conformity” and “homogenized standards” and blah, blah, blah.

It sounds like Mr. Guevara could have a future career in community organizing or the Democratic party.

“The American flag has been flown in instances of colonialism and imperialism,” he bemoaned. “Flags not only serve as symbols of patriotism or weapons for nationalism, but also construct cultural mythologies and narratives that in turn charge nationalistic sentiments.”

I know, folks. I know it’s California. But this is beyond bizarre even for the yoga and granola crowd.

I reached out to the university for a comment and a very nice spokesperson (who seemed anxious for the weekend) assured me the university did not endorse the resolution.

She also told me the executive board of the student government association is going to meet this weekend and discuss the possibility of a veto.

Reza Zomorrodian, the ASUCI president and a young patriot, told me he was very upset over the student government’s actions and will push for a veto.

“It’s an attack on American values,” he said. “A lot of people want to come to the United States for a reason – it’s because of the freedoms we have.”

Zomorrodian told me the legislation was the result of a longstanding feud over the display of the American flag. He said unknown perpetrators kept taking down the flag and he would put it back up.  The flag is currently folded and being protected in a vice president’s office.

“I’m really disappointed in our legislative council right now,” he said. “I’m firmly against what they did. I think it was a horrible idea.”

Zomorrodian said he wants the American public to know that UC Irvine is a patriotic campus.

“Only six people voted for this,” he said. “We have 22,000 undergrads here. Six people made this decision. The UC Irvine has made huge contributions to bettering this country. This is an elected body that made a decision for the whole and will suffer the consequences of making that decision.”

Mr. Zomorrodian sounds like a very nice young man who understands what the American flag represents --- and I hope he musters the votes necessary to rehoist the Stars & Stripes.

As for the handful of un-American rabblerousers who’ve brought shame upon the campus of UC Irvine – I would offer these gentle words:

If you have a problem with the flag and what that flag stands for and the brave men and women who died for that flag – then you are more than welcome to pack your bags and haul your ungrateful buttocks across the border.

And one final thought about the vandals who keep taking down the flag in the dark of night. I wonder if Mr. Zomorrodian has considered asking the university’s ROTC program for help. I suspect a handful of young soldiers might be able to nip that problem in the bud.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/03/06/students-at-uc-irvine-vote-to-ban-american-flag/

Dos Equis

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #47 on: March 10, 2015, 05:00:47 PM »
Good.

UC Irvine reverses American flag ban
By Todd Starnes
Published March 08, 2015
FoxNews.com

The Star-Spangled Banner will once again wave at the University of California, Irvine, after student government leaders nixed a bid to ban the American flag from a campus lobby.

Members of the executive cabinet of the Associated Students of UC Irvine met Saturday in an emergency session to reverse the flag ban.

“Our campus is patriotic and proud,” student government President Reza Zomorrodian told me. “We did something right for our campus.”

Zomorrodian, said he was furious that a handful of student legislators pushed through the ban.

“Our campus stands with the flag,” he said.

On March 3, student legislator Matthew Guevara authored a bill to remove the American flag, along with all other flags, from the lobby of a campus building housing their offices. Click here to read my original column.

Guevara said he wanted to make the university a more “culturally inclusive” place by banning Old Glory.

“Designing a culturally inclusive space aims to remove barriers that create undue effort and separation by planning and designing spaces that enable everyone to participate equally and confidentially,” read the resolution.

The student government’s decision created a firestorm of national outrage from alumni, current students and the university’s administration.

“This misguided decision was not endorsed or supported in any way by the campus leadership, the University of California, or the broader student body,” read a statement posted online by the university. “The views of a handful of students passing a resolution do not represent the opinions of the nearly 30,000 students on this campus, and have no influence on the policies and practices of the university.”

They also tweeted a photograph showing the Stars & Stripes were still posted at the taxpayer-funded university.

As for the student government association’s flag, that will be rehoused on Monday, Zomorrodian said.

Guevara and his band of cohorts could not be reached for comment. They aren’t talking publicly and Zomorrodian said he hasn’t been able to locate them. But when he does - he plans on giving them an earful, he said.

Zomorrodian said he was especially offended that they banned the flag because he is a first generation American.

“That’s why the flag is special to me,” he said. “I was born here. My parents came here as immigrants.”

That makes him proud to be an American, and to stand up for the flag.

“This country has been great to our family,” he said.

The university’s administration should also be commended for their swift condemnation of the flag ban. It’s refreshing to see there are still educators who still love the land of the free, the home of the brave.

If nothing else, this episode has shown the nation that the University of California, Irvine has hundreds, if not thousands, of young men and women who love our nation.

I was especially pleased to hear that a member of the university’s ROTC volunteered to stand guard over Old Glory — just in case someone tried to snatch it in the dark of night.

God bless America, friends.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/03/08/uc-irvine-reverses-american-flag-ban/

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #48 on: March 11, 2015, 05:39:57 PM »
 :-\

Professors: US flag symbolizes racism, should not be displayed on campus
By Todd Starnes
Published March 11, 2015
FoxNews.com

A group of university professors has signed a letter showing their solidarity with students who tried to ban the American flag at the University of California, Irvine – because they said Old Glory contributes to racism.

“U.S. nationalism often contributes to racism and xenophobia, and that the paraphernalia of nationalism is in fact often used to intimidate,” read a letter obtained by the website Campus Reform.

A group of Californian lawmakers is working on a bill that that would prohibit publicly funded universities from banning the American flag.
Hundreds across the nation have signed the letter – including some U.C. Irvine professors, Campus Reform reported.

"We admire the courage of the resolution's supporters amid this environment of political immaturity and threat, and support them unequivocally" the letter stated.

How those professors can sleep at night knowing their salaries are paid for by a bunch of xenophobic racists is beyond me.

On March 3 the U.C. Irvine student government association voted 6-4-2 to remove Old Glory from a campus lobby for the sake of cultural inclusivity.

The un-American knuckleheads blathered on about how "the American flag has been flown in instances of colonialism and imperialism."

Breitbart quoted an unnamed student who said the student government association feared the flag might hurt the feelings of illegal aliens.

“There were people who were like, ‘the flag triggers me’ – that was their exact wording, too,” the student said.

Over the weekend, the executive leadership of student government met and vetoed the legislation and by Monday the flag was once again posted in the campus lobby.

“Our campus is patriotic and proud,” student government President Reza Zomorrodian told me. “We did something right for our campus.”

A March 10th legislative meeting to discuss the controversy was canceled after the university received a “viable threat of violence.”

While the threat was not specific, university officials said they were taking the threat seriously and urged students to be diligent.

“Regardless of your opinion on the display of the American flag, we must be united in protecting the people who make this university a premier institution of higher learning,” Chancellor Howard Gillman wrote in a statement posted on the university’s website.

Meanwhile, a group of Californian lawmakers is working on a bill that that would prohibit publicly funded universities from banning the American flag.

Here's how it should work: you ban the flag -- we ban your student loans.

I'm old school. Where I come from, you salute Old Glory, you don't toss it in a closet. You don't ban it.

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2015/03/11/professors-us-flag-symbolizes-racism-should-not-be-displayed-on-campus/

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Re: Dumb Decisions Regarding the American Flag
« Reply #49 on: March 12, 2015, 01:02:58 PM »
Veteran Wraps Baby in American Flag, Photo Sparks Controversy
Mar 11, 2015
By GILLIAN MOHNEY


PHOTO: A picture of a baby being held by his father in an American flag sparked controversy online.
Photographer Vanessa Hicks said this picture of an infant being held by his father in an American flag sparked controversy online. Courtesy Vanessa Hicks

A photographer and Navy veteran is fighting back after a photo she posted to Facebook started an online backlash.

Vanessa Hicks said she had no idea her photo would be considered controversial. The photo, from a military family’s newborn photo shoot, showed a newborn infant wrapped in an American flag held by his father, who was in his military uniform.

Hicks, a Navy veteran herself and the wife of an active-duty Navy member, said her intention was to honor the flag as well as her clients, who wanted to incorporate their military service in the photo shoot.

“This is what he was fighting for, his son wrapped in an American flag,” Hicks told ABC News. However, when she posted the image on her page, she started to get comments accusing her of desecrating the flag.

On one Facebook page an unidentified poster put up her picture writing and wrote they found it was “disrespectful, rude, tacky, disgusting, and against the U.S. Flag Code.”

The Federal Flag Code has guidelines for the proper treatment of the U.S. Flag but there are no rules for punishment related to violations. In the past, the Supreme Court has found that people are protected from punishment under the First Amendment for manipulating or even burning the flag.

Hicks said she was surprised when messages suddenly started to pop up on her Facebook page and even her own website criticizing her photos.

She said she stayed up until 4 a.m. recently to take down comments from her business and company page, even on shoots that had nothing to do with the flag.

“I know how low I felt during those first few hours,” said Hicks. “[I felt] am I not a good American or veteran or wife. It’s a train-wreck you can’t help but watch.”

As Hicks tried to stop the comments from taking over her pages, others started to take notice and her picture went viral on social media sites. After that, Hicks found that many people, both military and civilian, told her they did not find the picture offensive.

“I have seen first-hand what is desecration of the flag,” Hicks said of her time in the military. “At the end of the day I didn’t do anything that disrespected this flag.”

Hicks, whose husband is still on active duty in the Navy, said the flag is a symbol of U.S. freedoms including the First Amendment right to free speech.

“[My husband] wouldn’t die for a flag, he would die for the freedoms that this country offers,” she told ABC News.

After her story grabbed local headlines, Hicks has been inundated by requests for photos shoots, and she said she plans to give 15 percent of all profits related to these shoots to the USO.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/photographer-fights-backlash-baby-wrapped-american-flag-picture/story?id=29557727