Skip to main content

Some are born to nonconformity, some achieve nonconformity, and some have nonconformity thrust upon them.

Malvolio didn't say that, but only because it didn't serve Bill Shakespeare's dialogue in the play.

I reflect on the sheer unexpectedness of this role. Obviously, some of us go out of our way to be different: by dressing differently, acting differently, releasing on-line our own sex videos, and doing other things that, as long as not too many other people also do it, makes them "different." And, yes, some of us are naturally different because they don't really have a clue as to how they are seen. The typical dork falls into this category. Now these are typically nice boys; but they don't understand how other people see their unusual dress or their strange interests. (In a word, this simply reflects that many people are intolerant judgmental bastards.) And there are some brave souls who are well aware of the intolerant consensus; but choose to defy it. These are truly what makes this country great.

But then there's the ones that have nonconformity fall in their laps. Case in point: five boys at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, California were suspended for wearing American flags on their clothing! To fill in the context, it was Cinco de Mayo, Mexican Independence Day. But last I've queried, California is still part of the United States.

My thought, on reading the story, was "They're being punished because they were pulling some old fuddy-dud's chain. Don't piss the principal off!"

By, upon further reflection, I thought, "Hey, this IS the You Ess of Ay! Wearing our flag is protected speech!" And I reflected vile oaths on that principal.

But then it dawned on me: Ol' Principal punished himself. He disobeyed the Eleventh Commandment of Administrators: Thou Shalt Not Look Ridiculous.

He did. As a matter of fact, he looked like a real dick.

As if to reinforce my epiphany, I read this news item:

"The five boys and their families met with a Morgan Hill Unified School District official Wednesday night. The district and the school do not see eye-to-eye on the incident and released the following statement:

The district does not concur with the Live Oak High School administration's interpretation of either board or district policy related to these actions."

The boys will not be suspended and were allowed to return to school Thursday. We spotted one of them when he got to campus -- and, yes, he was sporting an American flag T-shirt.

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news...t-Home-92945969.html
Original Post

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Guess it's a matter of how you interpret the flag code.

"The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general."

Peronally I'm sure this means that an actual real flag should not be worn, but many have interpreted this to mean pictures made on to clothing of the flag, which I'm sure wasn't the real intent, but again it doesn't specify, so the principal could be right in what he did. Although from the sound of it, violating the flag code wasn't the actual reason he sent them home.
The ACLU said they would take the case to court for the boys if they wanted to. Seems even high school students have some free speech rules.

The actual flag cannot be worn, what they had was red, white, and blue motifs that had some flag type shapes and some not. Not one boy had an actual flag print in full.

The principal was Spanish as well which may have influenced his decision.
quote:
Originally posted by Loki:
Guess it's a matter of how you interpret the flag code.

"The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general."

Peronally I'm sure this means that an actual real flag should not be worn, but many have interpreted this to mean pictures made on to clothing of the flag, which I'm sure wasn't the real intent, but again it doesn't specify, so the principal could be right in what he did. Although from the sound of it, violating the flag code wasn't the actual reason he sent them home.


There are not any enforceable laws pertaining to flag usage.
quote:
Originally posted by WH:
quote:
Originally posted by Loki:
Guess it's a matter of how you interpret the flag code.

"The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general."

Peronally I'm sure this means that an actual real flag should not be worn, but many have interpreted this to mean pictures made on to clothing of the flag, which I'm sure wasn't the real intent, but again it doesn't specify, so the principal could be right in what he did. Although from the sound of it, violating the flag code wasn't the actual reason he sent them home.


There are not any enforceable laws pertaining to flag usage.


Never said it was a law. Just quoting excerpts from the flag code. It is more of a guideline on how the flag should be respected. Just as dress codes aren't exactly laws at schools, but they are enforced despite a law not being in place for them. Just as dress codes are made to be followed, so is the flag code. I'm sure a principal of a school wouldn't recommend you break that code, especially if he/she is trying to enforce their own dress code.
quote:
Originally posted by Loki:
quote:
Originally posted by WH:
quote:
Originally posted by Loki:
Guess it's a matter of how you interpret the flag code.

"The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general."

Peronally I'm sure this means that an actual real flag should not be worn, but many have interpreted this to mean pictures made on to clothing of the flag, which I'm sure wasn't the real intent, but again it doesn't specify, so the principal could be right in what he did. Although from the sound of it, violating the flag code wasn't the actual reason he sent them home.


There are not any enforceable laws pertaining to flag usage.


Never said it was a law. Just quoting excerpts from the flag code. It is more of a guideline on how the flag should be respected. Just as dress codes aren't exactly laws at schools, but they are enforced despite a law not being in place for them. Just as dress codes are made to be followed, so is the flag code. I'm sure a principal of a school wouldn't recommend you break that code, especially if he/she is trying to enforce their own dress code.



School dress codes are enforceable...no comparison to the flag code. And yes...school dress codes are the 'law'.
I remember in the 70's when war protesters wore the flag in all kinds of disrespectful ways, and courts everywhere were trying to prosecute them. Then Barbara Bush wore a silk flag scarf shortly after her husband's election, and nothing was said. Certainly, her scarf was tasteful and elegant, but there seemed to be a double standard in play.
quote:
Originally posted by WH:
quote:
Originally posted by Loki:
quote:
Originally posted by WH:
quote:
Originally posted by Loki:
Guess it's a matter of how you interpret the flag code.

"The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general."

Peronally I'm sure this means that an actual real flag should not be worn, but many have interpreted this to mean pictures made on to clothing of the flag, which I'm sure wasn't the real intent, but again it doesn't specify, so the principal could be right in what he did. Although from the sound of it, violating the flag code wasn't the actual reason he sent them home.


There are not any enforceable laws pertaining to flag usage.


Never said it was a law. Just quoting excerpts from the flag code. It is more of a guideline on how the flag should be respected. Just as dress codes aren't exactly laws at schools, but they are enforced despite a law not being in place for them. Just as dress codes are made to be followed, so is the flag code. I'm sure a principal of a school wouldn't recommend you break that code, especially if he/she is trying to enforce their own dress code.



School dress codes are enforceable...no comparison to the flag code. And yes...school dress codes are the 'law'.


Technically not, dress codes are all different. Most of the time dress codes are interpretted different from principal to principal, teacher to teacher. They are not laws. If you don't like them, you can goto another school. It's a code that is to be adhered to if you want your child to goto that school. If you don't like it, you move your kid somewhere else.
quote:
Originally posted by Loki:
quote:
Originally posted by WH:
quote:
Originally posted by Loki:
quote:
Originally posted by WH:
quote:
Originally posted by Loki:
Guess it's a matter of how you interpret the flag code.

"The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general."

Peronally I'm sure this means that an actual real flag should not be worn, but many have interpreted this to mean pictures made on to clothing of the flag, which I'm sure wasn't the real intent, but again it doesn't specify, so the principal could be right in what he did. Although from the sound of it, violating the flag code wasn't the actual reason he sent them home.


There are not any enforceable laws pertaining to flag usage.


Never said it was a law. Just quoting excerpts from the flag code. It is more of a guideline on how the flag should be respected. Just as dress codes aren't exactly laws at schools, but they are enforced despite a law not being in place for them. Just as dress codes are made to be followed, so is the flag code. I'm sure a principal of a school wouldn't recommend you break that code, especially if he/she is trying to enforce their own dress code.



School dress codes are enforceable...no comparison to the flag code. And yes...school dress codes are the 'law'.


Technically not, dress codes are all different. Most of the time dress codes are interpretted different from principal to principal, teacher to teacher. They are not laws. If you don't like them, you can goto another school. It's a code that is to be adhered to if you want your child to goto that school. If you don't like it, you move your kid somewhere else.



You really should look up the definition of 'law'...you are looking foolish.


BTW...if you don't like the laws of any place you can leave...according to your logic, how does that change them from being laws?

Add Reply

Post

Untitled Document
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×