Kids kicked out of Branson High for wearing confederate flag shirts (school, to live)

[christina0001]

Actually Arrby, many schools in areas where gangs are an issue do indeed ban clothing that can be perceived as gang-affiliated.

Can you share an example of where U.S. flag insignias are prohibited because it might offend illegal immigrants? I have never heard such a thing.

[green_mariner]

I look at the Confederate flag in a negative way because of both family history and knowing what I know now. I have read the Articles of Secession. There were states seceding because they wanted to keep slavery. These were elite southerners standing up and openly admitting this. Being the descendant of Black slaves myself, I have hard time looking at the Confederate flag in a positive way. I remember talking to my mother about it. I told her that some students see it as southern pride. Her response was "I'm southern, but it's not my pride". In fact, I know maybe one southern Black person who has any Confederate flag t-shirt.

My father is a northerner and doesn't identify with southern culture. Actually, I've never really identified with it either.

I hear many people describe the Confederate flag as southern pride. Most African-Americans are from the South. I have never heard any African-American refer to the Confederate flag as being part of their heritage or being southern pride.

[imbored198824]

Originally Posted by green_mariner

I look at the Confederate flag in a negative way because of both family history and knowing what I know now. I have read the Articles of Secession. There were states seceding because they wanted to keep slavery. These were elite southerners standing up and openly admitting this. Being the descendant of Black slaves myself, I have hard time looking at the Confederate flag in a positive way. I remember talking to my mother about it. I told her that some students see it as southern pride. Her response was "I'm southern, but it's not my pride". In fact, I know maybe one southern Black person who has any Confederate flag t-shirt.

My father is a northerner and doesn't identify with southern culture. Actually, I've never really identified with it either.

I hear many people describe the Confederate flag as southern pride. Most African-Americans are from the South. I have never heard any African-American refer to the Confederate flag as being part of their heritage or being southern pride.

That is interesting to me, because one of the kids who got suspended was black.

[markb90]

I think there's been a legal precedent on a parallel issue before

While it is true that these kids have freedom of speech in schools, they still have to abide by school rules.. they are barred from wearing offensive shirts (think swastikas, confederates, obscene, etc).
Some people like to say they wear the Confederate flag for the legacy, but they are discounting the fact that the legacy is that of hate and enslavement.

[Arrby]

Originally Posted by christina0001

Actually Arrby, many schools in areas where gangs are an issue do indeed ban clothing that can be perceived as gang-affiliated.

Can you share an example of where U.S. flag insignias are prohibited because it might offend illegal immigrants? I have never heard such a thing.

Of course many schools do ban items believed to be gang affiliated. My point is that without knowing it a child can run afoul of the "rules" because the rules themselves are not defined. Gang wear can change in a moment. It can be a color, or a number, or a pattern, or a hairstyle, or even how the clothes are worn on the body.

As for the flag issue, this is the first link I found: USATODAY.com - Schools ban flags as immigration debate gets tense . It has been going on for years. The last news report I saw where a child was sent home for wearing a US flag t-shirt was just a few weeks ago.

I may as well admit here I have been advocating school uniforms for decades. I go back to a time when the issue was kids deliberately fomenting class envy by wearing expensive designer clothes that only they could afford.

[ETex2]

Originally Posted by green_mariner

I look at the Confederate flag in a negative way because of both family history and knowing what I know now. I have read the Articles of Secession. There were states seceding because they wanted to keep slavery. These were elite southerners standing up and openly admitting this. Being the descendant of Black slaves myself, I have hard time looking at the Confederate flag in a positive way. I remember talking to my mother about it. I told her that some students see it as southern pride. Her response was "I'm southern, but it's not my pride". In fact, I know maybe one southern Black person who has any Confederate flag t-shirt.

My father is a northerner and doesn't identify with southern culture. Actually, I've never really identified with it either.

I hear many people describe the Confederate flag as southern pride. Most African-Americans are from the South. I have never heard any African-American refer to the Confederate flag as being part of their heritage or being southern pride.

I don't want to get into a huge argument about the reasons for the civil war, but basically tons of farmers, plantation owners, etc.. would pretty much have been immediately out of business by outlawing slavery. I'm not saying slavery was acceptable at all, but you have to realize the prevailing economy in the south and the time frame.

My great great grandfathers (at least 3 that I know of) fought for the confederacy in the war. So I'm supposed to have no "southern pride"? BTW as far as I can tell, none ever owned a slave. And I'm not going to say the war was strictly about states rights because it wasn't. But I still will honor my ancestors. Lots of good southern men and women died in the war and I refuse to be ashamed of my heritage, my ancestors, and their way of life.

[green_mariner]

Originally Posted by ETex2

I don't want to get into a huge argument about the reasons for the civil war, but basically tons of farmers, plantation owners, etc.. would pretty much have been immediately out of business by outlawing slavery. I'm not saying slavery was acceptable at all, but you have to realize the prevailing economy in the south and the time frame.

My great great grandfathers (at least 3 that I know of) fought for the confederacy in the war. So I'm supposed to have no "southern pride"? BTW as far as I can tell, none ever owned a slave. And I'm not going to say the war was strictly about states rights because it wasn't. But I still will honor my ancestors. Lots of good southern men and women died in the war and I refuse to be ashamed of my heritage, my ancestors, and their way of life.

I look at it this way. I don't care about the interest of the farmers. The south was getting rich off of slavery and my ancestors picking cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane. It is of no help to me. I don't care if those planters lost their farms.

In fact, there is something else to think about. The elite southerners wanted to secede, and slavery was one of their biggest reasons. They had something to lose. They themselves weren't going to get up and fight for secession. They wanted other people to fight for them. And of course many Whites were going to fight for their state. However, the top echelons of society wanted to keep slavery. This is why I view the Confederate flag negatively. I view it negatively because of the reasons behind secession. I don't care what economic benefit it was, because it was my ancestors who were suffering. I'm just being honest about it.

I wasn't asking you to feel ashamed of your ancestors. I was telling MY personal reasons.

[cubssoxfan]

IMO Confederate Flags are a display of hidden prejudice.
What would happen if a student wore a shirt with the black flag of the Taliban? Or a shirt with the Black Power symbol from the Black Panthers? Or a Jewish Student with the Star of David and the saying "We didn't kill Christ, the Romans did"? Turn the tables a bit, wear the other person's shoes and then see how you would feel.
Heck in the late 70's we couldn't use the word suck, almost as bad as a profanity. A kid got sent home because he wore a shirt depicting 2 pigs "making love" with the saying "makin' Bacon".

[20yrsinBranson]

Originally Posted by imbored198824

Just curious what your take on this issue is.....please read the full article. Branson students sent home over confederate memorial shirts - kspr.com

You can bet your bippy that there are t-shirts being worn on a daily basis that have Jesus plastered all over them (somebody please correct me if I am wrong). If you are going to outlaw "message" t-shirts then you need to do it fairly across the board and not pick on one faction.

My thoughts are that school is for learning and not a place to preach a political or religious philosophy. There is a lot to be said for schools that require uniforms.

20yrsinBranson

[cubssoxfan]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

You can bet your bippy that there are t-shirts being worn on a daily basis that have Jesus plastered all over them (somebody please correct me if I am wrong). If you are going to outlaw "message" t-shirts then you need to do it fairly across the board and not pick on one faction.

My thoughts are that school is for learning and not a place to preach a political or religious philosophy. There is a lot to be said for schools that require uniforms.

20yrsinBranson

Agreed.