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This issue just became a ginormous in the Phoenix area.
There is an area on the far east side of the Phoenix metro area called Apache Junction. Yesterday, a few hispanic students at Apache Junction High School took down the US Flag and raised a Mexican flag in its place.
Several students took exception to this and after a shoving match, took the Mexican flag down and replaced it with the US flag again. Then, one of the students burned the Mexican flag.
The student who burned the Mexican flag was expelled. He was the only one. The reason he was expelled was for starting a fire on school grounds. I guess I can understand that, but the kids that took the US Flag down should face no less, IMHO.
It almost became a riot, apparently. I have heard that a security presence on campus acted quickly and decisively and did a good job stopping it.
The Superintendent of Schools for that school district made a statement today. One of the statements made is that students will no longer be permitted to wear clothing carrying image of any flag, because no one should be offended.
This makes no sense to me. What has just been decided is that an American flag worn by a student to a highschool in the US is potentially too offensive to allow. Honestly, that sickens me. I could live with them just making a dress code with uniforms, as many schools do (including where my children go), but to specifically make that statement about the image of the American flag being too offensive to wear at a high school in the US is beyond me.
If you are offended by the image of the US flag in this country, I would suggest you just get over it. I would suggest that about a lot of things that people find to be offensive.
There is a huge protest already being organized for Monday at AJ High where the plan is for everyone to bring an American flag and line the streets surrounding the high school. I may just go.
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