By now most are familiar with the story of the boy whose school told him to remove the American flag from his bicycle. If not, here is the story at Creative Minority Report. After the public outcry reached a fevered pitch the school reversed its decision. But of course no decision to ultimately do right can be made without a lame explanation.
Ed Parraz, the Superintendent of the Denair School District told us a school supervisor asked Cody to take down the flag. The supervisor will not be fired or face repercussions. Parraz says the supervisor had information that Cody Alicea’s safety was at risk because of the flag. Some students had complained about it and had apparently made threats.
“The last thing we wanted was to deny Cody his rights,” said Parraz speaking about the boy’s wish to fly the American flag.
Parraz said national flags were banned from campus after a Cinco De Mayo incident when tensions escalated between students displaying the Mexican flag and those waving the Stars and Stripes.  Recently, several students complained and there was even one threat.
“I think it would be irresponsible of us if we kind of shined it on and let him have the flag and he got jumped or something like that and got hurt,” said Parraz.
So the proper way to respond to threats is to cave in to the people doing the bullying? Is that really the lesson we ought to be imparting to our children?
Of course, this rationale is probably a poor attempt by the school to cover its, err, behind.
“Parraz said national flags were banned from campus after a Cinco De Mayo incident when tensions escalated between students displaying the Mexican flag and those waving the Stars and Stripes. Recently, several students complained and there was even one threat.”
Memo to Parraz: This is the United States of America. People who are offended by our flag will just have to get over it or move elsewhere.
Wow! From 1972 to 1975, I was stationed at Castle AFB, CA 93rd Bomb Wing (H) SAC.
Turlock was not too far from the base which was outside Atwater, CA.
N.B. This area is one of the dire centers of the housing debacle with over half of mortgage balances higher than the crushed values of the homes.
The school needs to discipline the criminals that threatened the boy.
So the proper way to respond to threats is to cave in to the people doing the bullying?
Based on the last, oh, 20+ years?
Yeah.
The youngster says he was not threatened. Sounds like the principal is piped into a faculty rumor mill or is lying.
Art, that would be my guess as well.
[…] follow up to Paul’s post here on the attempted banning of the American flag carried by Cody Alicea on his bike to honor his […]