Mexican Flag at school yanked down and Burned

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2006-03-31 01:32pm

http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/122555

Mexican flag burned at Apache Junction HS
By Blake Herzog
East Valley Tribune
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 03.31.2006

Tensions over immigration reform heightened in the Phoenix area's East Valley Thursday when students raised a Mexican flag over Apache Junction High School — and then other students yanked it down and burned it.
"I know (they) shouldn't have burned the Mexican flag," said Jacob Stewart, a 16-year-old sophomore. "I heard it was raised above the American flag and that just irked me."

He said the turbulence was tied to debates going on in the state Legislature and Congress, where ideas ranging from offering illegal immigrants a chance at citizenship to making them felons are being floated.

Freshman Chelsea Garcia, 15, and junior Brittany Ramage, 16, said the unrest had more to do with long-running racial tensions at the school.
The week's events might have sparked some anger, Ramage said, "but kids aren't too deep about that stuff."

The Hispanic student who brought the Mexican flag said he was responding to a remark directed at him Wednesday. The flag-raising, flag-burning, and shoving match that followed happened before most students arrived at school.

Six students — three Hispanic and three white — will be disciplined, Principal Chad Wilson said.

Officials with the Apache Junction Unified School District would not specify what punishment the six face.

Wilson did say in a letter sent home to parents that there would be "increased supervision, including additional police officers, on the campus over the next couple of days."

School flagpoles have been lightning rods across the country this week, including an incident in which a Houston high-school principal was disciplined after he flew a Mexican flag underneath his campus' U.S. and state flags.

A new political awareness among students has also been grabbing attention, as thousands have walked out on classes to join rallies in Phoenix and elsewhere. More than 100 students from Mesa's Carson Junior High and Westwood High schools marched in protest on Mesa streets Tuesday.

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Excellent.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2006-03-31 01:48pm

Some high school around here was having a student walkout in protest of the whole immigrant thing. Personally speaking, I think kids are just picking a convenient political issue and using it as an excuse to go all crazy and rebellant. Like that one incident years ago where a bunch of kids on a political demonstration decided to go loot a convenience store for kicks.

Jason von Evil · Post by **Jason von Evil** » 2006-03-31 01:58pm

Wait, I though only the American flag was flammable?

Agent Fisher · Post by **Agent Fisher** » 2006-03-31 03:15pm

Jason von Evil wrote:Wait, I though only the American flag was flammable?

Dont forget the Dutch flags

Jason von Evil · Post by **Jason von Evil** » 2006-03-31 03:32pm

Agent Fisher wrote: Dont forget the Dutch flags

Thats because their flag is made out of hemp.

FSTargetDrone · Post by **FSTargetDrone** » 2006-03-31 03:37pm

Flag burning... who didn't see that one coming...

More juvenile behavior from juveniles. But what was the story with that one principal hoisting the Mexican flag over the US one? Silly fuck.

theski · Post by **theski** » 2006-03-31 03:38pm

FSTargetDrone wrote:Flag burning... who didn't see that one coming...

More juvenile behavior from juveniles. But what was the story with that one principal hoisting the Mexican flag over the US one? Silly fuck.

That was in Houston..

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2006-03-31 04:25pm

Agent Fisher wrote:
Jason von Evil wrote:Wait, I though only the American flag was flammable?

Dont forget the Dutch flags

Up until the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, I didn't know other country's flags COULD burn!

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-03-31 04:30pm

CaptainChewbacca wrote:
Agent Fisher wrote:
Jason von Evil wrote:Wait, I though only the American flag was flammable?

Dont forget the Dutch flags
Up until the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, I didn't know other country's flags COULD burn!

Oddly enough, burning is the proper way to dispose of a tattered US flag.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2006-03-31 04:44pm

Yes, but you have to do it over low embers with proper dignity, not on a city street.

Duckie · Post by **Duckie** » 2006-03-31 04:48pm

CaptainChewbacca wrote:Yes, but you have to do it over low embers with proper dignity, not on a city street.

Also, you typically don't call for the destruction of Western Culture or the death of America when you ceremonially burn a flag. *Coughmideastcough*

Jadeite · Post by **Jadeite** » 2006-03-31 04:57pm

FSTargetDrone wrote:Flag burning... who didn't see that one coming...

More juvenile behavior from juveniles. But what was the story with that one principal hoisting the Mexican flag over the US one? Silly fuck.

He flew it under the US flag.

Anyway, good for the counter-protest students, a foreign flag should never be flown over the US flag on our soil, and it was just asking to be burned after that stunt.

TheBlackCat · Post by **TheBlackCat** » 2006-03-31 05:17pm

Jadeite wrote:He flew it under the US flag.

Anyway, good for the counter-protest students, a foreign flag should never be flown over the US flag on our soil, and it was just asking to be burned after that stunt.

I agree. It was needlessly confrontational.

CaptainChewbacca · Post by **CaptainChewbacca** » 2006-03-31 05:57pm

MRDOD wrote:
CaptainChewbacca wrote:Yes, but you have to do it over low embers with proper dignity, not on a city street.
Also, you typically don't call for the destruction of Western Culture or the death of America when you ceremonially burn a flag. *Coughmideastcough*

Oooh... no wonder those Jamborees were always so awkward.

DPDarkPrimus · Post by **DPDarkPrimus** » 2006-03-31 06:13pm

LadyTevar wrote:
CaptainChewbacca wrote:
Agent Fisher wrote:
Dont forget the Dutch flags
Up until the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, I didn't know other country's flags COULD burn!
Oddly enough, burning is the proper way to dispose of a tattered US flag.

Oh no. You dissect it first, so it is no longer a US flag.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2006-03-31 07:39pm

Someone cross check my reasoning on this:

If you're a foreigner and looking to gain acceptance and citizenship in a new country, do you parade around with your old country's flag, or with your new country's flag? I would interperet that if you're constantly running around with your old country's flag, you must love that country the most, and you wouldn't therefore mind returning to your glorious motherland if so ordered to do so.

Zed Snardbody · Post by **Zed Snardbody** » 2006-03-31 07:48pm

And that's the main problem with immigration and why people want to take such a hard line, they see an influx of people that seem to be unwilling to assimilate.

Before it was just a vague feeling that people had about Mexican immigrants, now with the demonstrations it has seemingly validated these fears that a massive influx of people are coming into the country with the intent to make it into their old home and not embrace their new one.

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » 2006-03-31 07:56pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:Someone cross check my reasoning on this:

If you're a foreigner and looking to gain acceptance and citizenship in a new country, do you parade around with your old country's flag, or with your new country's flag? I would interperet that if you're constantly running around with your old country's flag, you must love that country the most, and you wouldn't therefore mind returning to your glorious motherland if so ordered to do so.

Which is why these people need to be deported to Ireland:

Not only do the Irish flags look bigger, they are held up higher.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2006-03-31 07:57pm

Elfdart wrote:Which is why these people need to be deported to Ireland:

They look sober. I'm not sure Ireland would take them.

Uraniun235 · Post by **Uraniun235** » 2006-03-31 08:01pm

Elfdart wrote:Not only do the Irish flags look bigger, they are held up higher.

yeah but the irish built our railroads

a far cry from picking strawberries and doing some gardening

Fleet Admiral JD · Post by **Fleet Admiral JD** » 2006-03-31 08:07pm

Elfdart wrote:<<snip>>

Not only do the Irish flags look bigger, they are held up higher.

Yes, but they aren't asking for a return of lands gained in a war by us, nor are they trying to have more babies to become a voting majority.

FSTargetDrone · Post by **FSTargetDrone** » 2006-03-31 08:07pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:Someone cross check my reasoning on this:

If you're a foreigner and looking to gain acceptance and citizenship in a new country, do you parade around with your old country's flag, or with your new country's flag? I would interperet that if you're constantly running around with your old country's flag, you must love that country the most, and you wouldn't therefore mind returning to your glorious motherland if so ordered to do so.

Yeap. I'm exactly the most nationalistic type out there, but unless you are a foreign embassy, I don't care to see huge flags from other countries displayed more prominently than (in this case) the U.S. flag. I would feel the same no matter what country I lived in.

FSTargetDrone · Post by **FSTargetDrone** » 2006-03-31 08:08pm

Dammit, gheto edit:

I'm not exactly the most nationalistic type...

Nephtys · Post by **Nephtys** » 2006-03-31 08:10pm

Fleet Admiral JD wrote:
Elfdart wrote:<<snip>>

Not only do the Irish flags look bigger, they are held up higher.
Yes, but they aren't asking for a return of lands gained in a war by us, nor are they trying to have more babies to become a voting majority.

They're held in a parade. That's different than wringing one up.

Fleet Admiral JD · Post by **Fleet Admiral JD** » 2006-03-31 08:16pm

Nephtys wrote:
Fleet Admiral JD wrote:
Elfdart wrote:<<snip>>

Not only do the Irish flags look bigger, they are held up higher.
Yes, but they aren't asking for a return of lands gained in a war by us, nor are they trying to have more babies to become a voting majority.
They're held in a parade. That's different than wringing one up.

Exactley. Context is everything.