What is the country coming to!?

[NeuroTypical]

So, his admission that, in retrospect, his choice was poor was fair enough.

Well yes, but he didn't say "my choice was poor". He said "I apologize for the impact of this controversy", and "I would like to publically apologize to all of our families for the obvious disruption". Look at who he's apologizing for - it's not his actions. He is apologizing for the actions of others. It really is a manipulative, backhandad, crappy way of saying "I'm sorry you idiots got all offended".

He did not say his choice was poor. He said "In this situation, I may have moved too quickly in drawing the line of when to take preventative action." First, "may have" is not the same as "I moved too quickly". Second, he's not admitting the possibility of being wrong, he's only saying he might have been wrong in his choice of timing.

This is not, in any way, any sort of apology. It's the standard double-speak nonsense from someone attempting to sooth irate people by saying nothing, that will be interpreted as saying something.

So, should he ever actually produces something like "I was wrong, I'm sorry", then I'm more than happy to drop him from the list of items I'm ticked off about in this story.

LM

[Moksha]

There's a restaurant I go to specifically for their Chile Rellenos.

¿Cuál es el restaurante?

[mightynancy]

As an educator/administrator, one must often make a call based on the kid. I don't know these students, but perhaps the t-shirt wearing was only the latest in a long line of antagonizing behavior. The principal would not be at liberty to share such info, but it's certainly a possibility. I imagine the principal had cause to fear an outbreak of fighting.

That said, I understand First Amendment rights and disagree with what the principal did. I'm just saying that while the principal acted too hastily, he probably wasn't doing it out of liberal ideology. He probably just didn't want the cops at the school. Again.

[prisonchaplain]

Well yes, but he didn't say "my choice was poor". He said "I apologize for the impact of this controversy", and "I would like to publically apologize to all of our families for the obvious disruption". Look at who he's apologizing for - it's not his actions. He is apologizing for the actions of others. It really is a manipulative, backhandad, crappy way of saying "I'm sorry you idiots got all offended".

I went back and reread the principal's statemtent. I conflated his and the District's. What the principal admitted was that he may have reacted too quickly in attempting to prevent violence. Some might say that he's justifying while he's apologizing. I'd suggest he's explaining his rationale, even as he's admitting that it was ultimately weak.

What else does he have to do? That's legitimate. He was fearful of ethnic violence, and overreacted, thus not protecting a minority perspective. He admits his error, explains it, and the flag-wearers will receive no sanction for their absence. End of story--no monetary damages. His decision may have been poor, but it was not a blatant failure of any particular policy or law.

[Just_A_Guy]

As I recall, the current SCOTUS case law is that school administrators can limit speech that is "substantially likely" to provoke a "material and substantial" disruption to the educational atmosphere.

The problem isn't that the school administration acted unconstitutionally. The problem is that our federal government's shilly-shallying immigration policy has allowed the number of students who would react violently to the display of an American flag to reach such a critical mass.

There was a time when new arrivals in this country took an oath of allegiance to the flag and to the nation. No longer.

[bytor2112]

I just hope that the Principal took down the divisive American flag too....wouldn't want that divisive emblem of freedom and opportunity to cause some of the beneficiaries of freedom and opportunity to react violently.

Edited May 10, 2010 by bytor2112

[prisonchaplain]

The problem isn't that the school administration acted unconstitutionally. The problem is that our federal government's shilly-shallying immigration policy has allowed the number of students who would react violently to the display of an American flag to reach such a critical mass.

There was a time when new arrivals in this country took an oath of allegiance to the flag and to the nation. No longer.

I'd be somewhat bitter to if my auntie could not legally come here for 15-years, because the richest, most powerful nation on earth doesn't have the resources to run a modern immigration program.

1. Hire the pencil pushers necessary to reduce the ridiculous backlog on legitimate applications from people we actually want here.

2. Go after the businesses that hire illegals under the table, so they can avoid the minimum wage, taxes, and paperwork.

Ah, but the sad reality that many of the interests in this matter do not really want a solution. The problem is too politically and financially rewarding. Sorry...just some middle-age cynicism setting in.

[Hemidakota]

Anyone see this news story?

Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing American Flag Tees - NBCBAYAREA- msnbc.com

Yep...Political Correctness in action.

Thoughts?

I see a cause here. I do not wear our own symbol that much blood was spilt over. Neither should any person be allowed to deface our sacred national emblem. If a person does not like the flag, then don't let the door hit you on the way out. There are many other countries that may want to accommodate that person.

As we need to turn the clock in our schools and colleges and go back to standing up before that flag, in remember those who dies for us in living in such freedoms.