100,000 Protestors... Angry mobs of students...

[SacTown Chronic]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

We could also build a Wall*Mart that is actually in the wall itself. The customer entrance will be on the US side and the employees entrance will be on the Mexico side!

Brilliant!

[innerSpaceman]

Nehph - where are you getting the "pay no taxes" part? Undocumenteds pay plenty of taxes. Social Secutity taxes for the most part. Which they pay in, but don't take out - btw. They by and large do not earn enough to pay income taxes.

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Scaeagles - by your logic of where the flag burning takes place, the American boy burning the Mexican flag while on American soil communicates the message "I hate Mexico." You seem to me to be demonstrating quite the double standard there.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Scaeagles - by your logic of where the flag burning takes place, the American boy burning the Mexican flag while on American soil communicates the message "I hate Mexico." You seem to me to be demonstrating quite the double standard there.

To the contrary. Context is everything.

In the Middle East, protests are organized with the intent of saying "I hate America", and burning the American flag is certainly part of it.

This was not an organized protest where a kid went to a gathering where the purpose was to protest Mexico. He made a rash decision in the heat of the moment when his other attempt at resolving the issue - taking the Mexican flag down the first time and returning it to the students who raised it - was not successful.

That is certainly a far, far cry from a proclamation of hatred of Mexico.

I hate the Mexican government. They are corrupt and are in fact the reason there is a huge illegal immigration problem in this country. Does this mean I hate Mexico? I don't know.

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

I hate the Mexican government. They are corrupt and are in fact the reason there is a huge illegal immigration problem in this country. Does this mean I hate Mexico? I don't know.

More importantly, does it mean you hate Mexicans? I'm guessing not, but I think that is the real issue behind the school thing. You are right that I'm assuming that the ROTC kid does. But it's an educated guess, definitely.

[tracilicious]

I agree with Alex, with the exception that it was on school property. Free speech doesn't exist in public schools. He was in violation of school rules, therefor, I believe suspension is in order.

[Alex]

As the Supreme Court said in Tinker v. Des Moines, students don't shed their constitutional rights when they walk in the door. I don't have a problem with administrative punishment from the school (and it is warranted). I have a problem with criminal punishment from the state.

[innerSpaceman]

First amendment rights might not extend to setting fire to things on school property.

I'm in complete agreement that flag-burning should have first amendment protection. Being on school grounds and lighting a fire, whether it's to communicate or not, is arguably a different story.

[€uroMeinke]

Huh? So when did I lose my 1st amendment rights when on school property? And more importantly why does it sound like ISM is okay with this?

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

Huh? So when did I lose my 1st amendment rights when on school property? And more importantly why does it sound like ISM is okay with this?

I'm not sure when, that's just how it is. Students can't distribute written materials without school approval, they can't wear what they want, teachers can't teach whatever they want, school libraries can't carry whatever books they want. I'm not saying that's how it should be, I'm just saying that's how it is. I think that makes the free speech issue here moot because free speech doesn't exist on school property.

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by tracilicious

I'm not sure when, that's just how it is. Students can't distribute written materials without school approval, they can't wear what they want, teachers can't teach whatever they want, school libraries can't carry whatever books they want. I'm not saying that's how it should be, I'm just saying that's how it is. I think that makes the free speech issue here moot because free speech doesn't exist on school property.

Well, I might interpret that differently. In many ways the same thing applies to me in the workplace - that is there are restrictions on my exercise of free speech that are conditions of my employment. I could still exercise free speech, but my employer could fire me. I suspect I could do the same in a public schoool - though I might be charged with tresspass, if I actually entered the school grounds.