On Monday, a middle school student in California was told by school officials he could no longer display the American flag on his bicycle because it could lead to racial tension. Let me say that again. On Monday, a middle school student in California was told by school officials he could no longer display the American flag on his bicycle because it could lead to racial tension.
Denair, California, Unified School District Superintendant , Edward Parraz said Cody Alicea was told not to fly his U.S. flag from his bike while at Denair Middle School after complaints from other students.
“The First Amendment is important, “ Parraz said. “We want the kids to respect it, understand it, and with that comes a responsibility. Our Hispanic kids will bring their Mexican flags and they’ll display it and then, of course, the kids would do the American flag situation and it does cause kind of a racial tension which we don’t really want.” Parraz said. “We want them to appreciate the cultures.”
All I can say is… “Huh?”
If there is a problem for some Hispanic kids in an American school because the American flag is being displayed it is a problem far greater than some kid with a flag on his bicycle. This is America. They symbol of our country, our land of opportunity and our nation of mixed cultures, races, ethnicities and backgrounds is the Stars and Stripes. It has been that way since the first one was sewn in 1776. This is the second incident in California where the wishes of a group of Hispanic kids has caused American kids to be told they cannot display their American flags for fear of offending the Hispanics.
Now before anyone starts screaming that I’m a racist and hate Hispanics you should know that I lived in Puerto Rico for four years and in Miami for six years and I truly enjoy the Latin culture. I have been to Mexico several times as well. This is not about “Hispanics” per se – they just happen to be the ethnic group involved in these particular situations. There seems to be a growing trend in California of Mexican-Americans (and non-citizen Mexicans) believing the USA should stop displaying the Stars and Stripes and rather embrace the Mexican flag. I’m sorry but…. No, wait a minute. I’m not sorry. This is just wrong. This is the United States of America, including California. Americans have every right to display the American flag anytime and anywhere in the United States. To have someone from another country or culture complain about that while they’re living here is bad enough. To have a school board or principal tell an American child to remove the flag to appease these people is horrendous.
If you are in this country legally and wanting to live and work here, wanting to raise your family here, you are more than welcome. All we ask is that you embrace the culture of the country you chose. If you don’t want to do that, please find somewhere else to live. If you are an American citizen by birth and you are offended by the American flag and what she stands for, please find another country more suitable to your likes and dislikes. One of the best things about America is the freedoms we have. Those freedoms include your right to leave the country and live somewhere else if you’re not happy here.
Edward Parraz should be ashamed of himself for taking the “easy” way out of this situation and telling one kid not to fly the American flag on school property instead of standing up for the child’s first amendment rights. He allowed a group of unpatriotic people to take away the rights of an American citizen. I’m thinking what Parraz did was illegal but that remains to be seen. It certainly was wrong.
The blurring of a culture is undertaken by introducing multiculturalism. Under that scenario, there is no "right" culture, only what you are told by the "powers to be" is right. Or politically correct.
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