Houston school principal ordered to remove Mexican flag

[kurth]

Houston Chronicle / March 30, 2006
Opinions split over red, white and green
Mexican flags divisive topic as principal shows his support for student protests
By JENNIFER RADCLIFFE

Reagan High School Principal Robert Pambello was ordered to remove a Mexican flag Wednesday morning that he had hoisted below the U.S. and Texas flags that typically fly in front of his school — a symbol he agreed to fly to show support for his predominantly Hispanic student body. At nearby Hamilton Middle School, a child was asked to wipe off Mexican and U.S. flags painted on his face. Hundreds of other students carried Mexican flags during walkouts Wednesday — acts of protest that they vow to continue until Congress rejects legislation that would further restrict immigration...

The Mexican flag has become a lightning rod in the immigration debate that's consumed the city and the nation this week. Students say the flag represents their pride in the contributions Mexicans make to this country. Critics, though, said watching young Hispanics in the streets with the red, green and white flags is more than they can stand. These youngsters are in the United States and should — at the least — carry the U.S. flag, they argue.

"The whole thing just makes my blood boil," said Bruce R. Wing, a 52-year-old Missouri City resident. "I want them all out of here." Wing said the Houston Independent School District should fire Pambello. HISD leaders said no decision has been made about possible discipline against the principal, who declined interview requests Wednesday.

"It is appropriate to fly the flags of the United States and Texas over schools in the Houston Independent School District, since we are a public entity of the state," HISD spokesman Terry Abbott said. "It would not be appropriate for the school district to advocate allegiance to a country other than the United States. Therefore, it is not appropriate to permit use of school district flagpoles for the purpose of flying flags representing other countries." ...

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3758105.html

[Beacho]

1. I want to see the order to put the Texas flage BELOW the U.S.

Since we're all so concerned about flag decorum, all of a sudden.

:evilgrin:

[standup]

10. ANY state flag may be flown at the same height as the U.S. flag

See
http://www.snopes.com/history/american/texasflag.asp

[acmejack]

13. Another bet

If you go there to that school the Texas flag is lower than the US flag. We have heard of such things down here too. We have all those patriotic organizations that promote flag etiquette awareness and such just like the rest of Murica! We're dum down here butt knot that dum!

[acmejack]

2. Any bets as to which party Mr. Wing belongs to?

[cynatnite]

5. Just what I was thinking...

he sounds like an idiot freeptard.

[gatorboy]

11. He is principal of REAGAN high school after all.

:P

[DBoon]

I'll take the Mexican flag over the Confederate Battle Flay anyday

nt

[Virginian]

19. I couldn't get the article to come up. Was there something about flying

a confederate flag at the school?

If the Mexican government is supporting the school, then, the school should fly the Mexican flag. No problem.

[DBoon]

37. I bet there are plenty of confederate flags flying in Texas

with no complaints whatever from the folks who are so irate about the Mexican flag.

[fleabert]

39. the year I graduated, students protested the removal of the Confederate

flag from our schoool by lowering the US flag and raising the Conf. flag instead. On the front lawn of the school.

it was very contentious and made the local paper, but I don't think it even made national news. Sadly. There were many that thought there was no problem with it.

oh yeah, this was 1991 in San Antonio Texas.

[MadMaddie]

3. Mexican flags are all over Texas....

Rove made a huge mistake on this....the Latino's are only getting warmed up.....

It's going to get nasty...nasty...nasty...:popcorn:

[DBoon]

4. Are they going to remove Mexican food from cafeteria menus too?

nt

[cynatnite]

8. Freedom tacos coming soon

:sarcasm:

Sorry, I couldn't resist. :)

[DBoon]

33. I think they are called "fried bologna sandwiches"

nt

[Squatch]

6. Well, it is a US public school...

[standup]

12. Built by American taxpayers

[Squatch]

14. Who want the US and Texas flags to be flown over it

[400Years]

18. no that school was probably built by mexicans

seriously

[Bridget Burke]

22. And quite a few taxpayers here have Mexican roots.

Lots of places in Houston have a whole row of international flags.

[demosincebirth]

20. I've seen, in Texas, a few places have the the Lone Star flying

by itself.

[Squatch]

Yeah, Texas sure is a weird place

[400Years]

32. what's wierd about that?

[demosincebirth]

42. I was taught that you don't fly a state flag without the stars and strips

[fleabert]

40. a few?

good lord, that's how I know I am home!



It seems like you can't run a successful biz in TX without flying the Lone Star.

[sandnsea]

7. But a Confederate Flag

Now that's just a remembrance of a glorious heritage.

I think the principal made a mistake because it is public property, but the outrage over the Mexican flag is racist bullshit. Lots of people of varying ethnic groups carry their flags in parades and have them on flagpoles at various events.

[cynatnite]

9. Good point!

That points out a hell of a lot of hypocrisy over this 'It should be an American flag' bullshit.

[slaveplanet]

50. It has to do with the military

not public opinion.

The Flag the US flys is technically the "Battle Flag",
There was a civil flag but it fell into disuse.
The US has flown the Battle flag exclusively since 1951.
There is also the Naval Jack and various other ensigns for specific purposes.

A flag is kind of like war drums, by tapping different beats you could transmit messages over distance.

The flag is all about telling people over there, what your all about over here.

The military objective is not to let any other nations flag fly over it's territory and public institutions.

places like embassies and the UN and the like are technically not US territory

I can see a lot of these rightwinger veterans getting real upset over this.

and even if these students were just doing it for a symbolic "pride thing" in the long run they are playing with fire as continual flag raisings are bound to ellicit more sentiment similar to mr Wing's.

[blogslut]

15. If I were Pambello, I would put up the rest of Texas'

Six Flags:



That would confuse the hell out of the bastards. ;)

*edit* for emphasis

[fishnfla]

16. I think the protesters and their organizers made a huge mistake

The protests were about what? Mexican pride or immigration laws?

In our local paper, a protester held the sign "VIVA MEXICO Y LATINO AMERICA"

Begs the question: why are you here then?

[Squatch]

17. Good observation

[Bridget Burke]

24. They're here because they're here.

They are proud of their Mexican roots but they are also good US citizens (or want to be).

At least in Texas, the connection goes way back.

[cynatnite]

25. They love the country they're from, but can't make a living there...

that's what I see.

[LWolf]

21. So the biggest issue of the day:

Not war. Not the economy, the environment, health care, education.
Not civil liberties.

The biggest issue of the day is all about flags? Mexican flags seen in protests. Mexican flags at school. Mexican flags competing with Old Glory. Flags, flags, flags.

Good going. Whip the citizenry into a frenzy of outraged nationalism over some pieces of silk to keep their brains otherwise occupied during an election year.

:eyes:

[standup]

27. News flash: A lot of Americans died for that flag

Don't mess with the flag and the national anthem.

[Squatch]

28. Ah, you mean the anthem that was based on an Irish drinking song?

[cynatnite]

30. Americans don't die for a fucking flag or a song

:eyes:

What a load of shit.

[July]

46. I second that.

It's crap.

[400Years]

34. no they didn't

a flag is just a symbol

[sandnsea]

36. Hey you forgot, Don't Mess With Texas

And goddammit, don't mess with our southern heritage either!



:eyes:

[LWolf]

38. Too tempting.

Tell me not to do something, and there I am, doing it.

The flag? It's a symbol. As I've already pointed out, it doesn't symbolize the same thing for all. Personally, for me it is a symbol of nationalism, and therefore a corrupt symbol.

The national anthem? A song glorifying bombs and war.

People can choose to die for that symbol, and to embody the destruction of war with their lives. I wouldn't criticize them for it, but I don't have to adopt their symbolism, either.

I'm messing with it. Right now.

I inherited a box of flags from a rw friend who bought a bunch and foisted them off on everyone she knew when the "put a flag on your car's antennae to show your support for war" fashion began. I never used them. I just quietly thanked her and left them in the box.

I happen to have a bonfire going right now. I'm going to go drop that box on the bonfire while I sing the national anthem and visualize nationalism going up in smoke along with the flags. You have anything else you'd like to "suggest?"

[Bridget Burke]

41. Or Mom or Apple Pie...

"Let the Eagle Soar"....

[Bridget Burke]

29. Immigration policies have needed work for a long time...

But the IMMIGRATION CRISIS is meant to distract.

[Virginian]

31. You nailed it.

Is this a trick to mobilize the base in an election year -- A new wedge issue? Probably, if they want to write off future Hispanic voters.

[pocket]

23. I like this one better:

<img src="">

[Bridget Burke]

26. Another Michelle Malkin fan heard from!

I didn't realize she was so popular at DU.

[pocket]

35. I'm happy to use up the bitch's bandwidth

:D

[WinkyDink]

43. Sorry, but no foreign flag should be flown at a U.S. public school.

The students are HERE; their families came HERE; the school is HERE.

What about "the United States of America" don't they understand?

(And I won't brook any "Mexican labor" or "We stole the land" arguments; they are fruitless, as there is no limit as to how far in the past one can go to stake a claim.)

[Disturbed]

44. Rationality doesn't enter into the minds of those that...

are insulted by the Mexican flag being flown or waved within the USA. Texas fought a war with Mexico over this territory. It'a an emotional issue. Those few persons that were waving Mexican flags are whipping up those emotions and will lose on the issue.

[standup]

45. Mexican flag burned at Apache Junction HS (Phoenix, Ariz.)

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." ...

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. .......

[ProfessorGAC]

47. Could They Order To Change The Name Of The School?

I'd prefer they do that first, than worry about which flags are flying.
The Professor

[ProfessorGAC]

Darn It

...

[ProfessorGAC]

48. Again With The Triple Posting

The Professor

[Red Knight]

49. Aztlan

I'm not saying this is a serious problem or not--I don't know enough about it. I first read about it in a book discussing peak oil and just pulled up the link site for the info on it.

Apparently there is a movement to gain the Southwest part of the U.S. for Mexico--at least by one group called MecHa. How widespread it is, I don't know.

I'm just popping in the link without comment:

http://www.boundless.org/2002_2003/features/a0000660.html