Teacher Deems American Flag 'Offensive'

I don't think it should matter where anything is made. Besides, the drawing was made in the States by a 13 year old that was told to draw whatever she wanted and felt inspired to draw the flag. People should be proud of that.

I've always thought of American Patriotism as somewhat of a joke, but no one, especially a child, should be ridiculed for drawing their national flag.

I'm still trying to wonder in any way how the flag is offensive?

reply to post by tylermbell


That's why it disclaimered it was from FOX in my OP



[edit on 11-5-2010 by Portugoal]

A flag to me represents that country’s people. Not its leader, not its government
But the people and that little girl has every right to draw whatever flag she want to.

news of all the crap that teachers are doing now days... Is starting to piss me off. GRRRR
buggger now im cross and this is dampening my day

Originally posted by Whateva69
A flag to me represents that country’s people. Not its leader, not its government
But the people and that little girl has every right to draw whatever flag she want to.

news of all the crap that teachers are doing now days... Is starting to piss me off. GRRRR
buggger now im cross and this is dampening my day

Well the same teacher praised the leader's picture. How does that make you feel?

Sounds to me like this TEACHER believes the leader is bigger and more important than the flag.

This is no teacher....this is simply a person who got their degree and met the requirements to work for a school district. As we all know, it takes more then just being qualified on paper to be a TEACHER.

Originally posted by Portugoal

Teacher Deems American Flag 'Offensive'

www.foxnewsradio.com

The battle over the American flag has reached a middle school art class in California’s Santa Rita School District where a student was told not to draw Old Glory because it was “offensive,” but another student — in the same class – was praised for drawing a picture of President Obama.

Tracy Hathaway, of Salinas, CA, told FOX News Radio her 13-year-old daughter was ordered to stop drawing the American flag by an art teacher at Gavilan View Middle School.

I am so glad that I am an older, more experienced, and gentler *cough* person.

This rages my heart, but I know it's not their fault.

It's not just because it's about America, because it's not. It's about the hypocrisy and utter obnoxiousness. It's about the utter lack of thought and heart!

But then, it could be this way on my part as well.

Edit to add the "/exnews" tag.

[edit on 5/10/2010 by TarzanBeta]

Originally posted by niteboy82
Why on Earth are people so wrapped up in this flag? Patriotism? Better think again...

Who cares about the method of offense.. I'm offended as well. When's the last time you picked up a flag in the store and looked at the tag? "Made in China?"

No thanks, I don't need a bit of cloth made in a country completely handicapped in the realm of human dignity and rights to wave around and act like I care about my country that the same China seems hell-bent on buying up and destroying.

But please tell us why your jaded opinion of the flag of the country you live in (citizen?) should matter to a child mired in the peoples republic of california who just (innocently) wants to draw his flag? Ever just sit and watch a child draw anything? Try it and watch them in a world of their own - far from whatever it is that turns people so jaded these days.

You have your "reasons" for your own rather bitter opinions. Kindly allow this or any child the chance to form and have their own. That goes for this poor excuse for a "teacher" as well.

BTW, I helped my daughter escape from the Kalifornia education (indoctrination) system a couple of years ago. Now she's thriving, gets good college grades, has a good job, thinks for herself and would never play the victim just to get a handout from the government.

[edit on 5/10/2010 by centurion1211]

The sad part is, it is suppose to stand for a nation of united people. Now it is being used to pull those people apart. And to think that this is what some people want to see, this nation divided. When my uncle died in WW2, his coffin flag was folded and given to my grand father, to show him that the nation was mourning with him and my family. My grand father was so very proud of it, he handed it down through the family, and we will always cherish it, because he gave his life for this nation of people. So to me, what that teacher done was no more then spit in the faces of my family.



[edit on 10-5-2010 by FiatLux]

reply to post by FiatLux


She's quite offended really. How could an 'educated' person who TEACHES use the word offensive in relation to a flag drawing? If it was a naked person then she might have a case... even then it's still art.

reply to post by Portugoal


The teacher in my opinion should be praising the children on their ability to express themselves and their effort to stay awake in her boring stupid class.

I'm assuming Its drawing time / art time right, that should be the funest class ever, those are the class’s that normally make children want to go to and enjoy school

all children should be rewarded and encouraged in school, it could break their spirt badly if their not.

reply to post by Portugoal


This is a bit of a beat up, I think. Once upon a time (in the 1960's) the 'conservative' viewpoint was that it was offensive to have a flag as clothing. Now the flag is used as a badge on everything as if it automatically confers some sort of patriotic halo onto its wearer, but there is still a protocol defined to maintain the respect and dignity of the flag.

As far as I know, it is still against flag protocol to write anything on the flag. This kids flag was an accurate flag, with 13 stripes and 50 stars, not a symbolic representation that invoked the idea of the flag, a real flag. So it shouldn't have had anything written on it.

You can find the flag protocol here: Flag Rules and Regulations

And an example of a similar violation (from the above link):


The teacher should have educated the student about WHY it was offensive - that is because it offended the respect due to the most fundamental symbol of the country. If that did not occur, then the parents should have queried the decision. As they apparently did. And they apparently got a satisfactory answer as the article says that the situation was worked out to everyone's satisfaction.

Edit: In short, and to make myself exactly clear: THE TEACHER WAS RIGHT but should have explained her point better.

[edit on 10/5/2010 by rnaa]

[edit on 10/5/2010 by rnaa]

reply to post by Portugoal


Crazy hey, I couldn’t understand that either... offended over a picture of a flag.
lol she would have gone crazy teaching my kids, my kids are two very outspoken smart and determined young girls. I think they take after their father

Originally posted by Portugoal
reply to post by FiatLux

 

She's quite offended really. How could an 'educated' person who TEACHES use the word offensive in relation to a flag drawing? If it was a naked person then she might have a case... even then it's still art.

It`s funny, this teacher lives in this country, teaches in this country, and takes pay from this country, yet can`t stand this country. I would ask this tearher to their face, if you hate it soooo much, why not leave it? I would even help them pack, then fly them, boat them, or even drive them to where they want to go. My love for all the people of this world gets pushed to the limits when things like this happens.

reply to post by rnaa


Ok the flag code is new to me. Besides I don't think it could be used as a defense. Would the words, "God Bless America" not be just as great as the flag itself?

But I don't think the teacher was aware of that. Evidently, she had no reason as to why it was "offensive." :

“My husband point-blank asked her what she found offensive about the picture – the American flag or the words, ‘God Bless America,’” she said. “The teacher didn’t say a word.”

It was handled to the parents satisfaction: Obviously the school board's going to release that to the press. Secondly, the parents never wanted it to get to the superintendent so sure they'd agree that everything's fine.

The girl was still chastised for telling her parents what happened. Are you joking? The school should dismiss her for telling the girl she did wrong by telling her parents, never mind what happened with the picture!!!!

[edit on 10-5-2010 by Portugoal]

reply to post by manta78


Dixie Flag Company in San Antonio, Texas also manufactures flags, DIXIE!? OMG! RACISTS!

If a kid drew a Mexican flag (hell even a Canadian or Portuguese flag to rid myself of any "racist" accusations) and then wrote "God Bless America," the most important monicker in the country, then I could see a teacher being offended or even just explain to the kid how it's offensive to others.

But this?!?!


[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/7c28def12d5a.jpg[/atsimg]




[edit on 10-5-2010 by Portugoal]

Originally posted by Portugoal
reply to post by rnaa

 

Ok the flag code is new to me.

But I don't think the teacher was aware of that. Evidently, she had no reason as to why it was "offensive." :

“My husband point-blank asked her what she found offensive about the picture – the American flag or the words, ‘God Bless America,’” she said. “The teacher didn’t say a word.”

It was handled to the parents satisfaction: Obviously the school board's going to release that to the press. Secondly, the parents never wanted it to get to the superintendent so sure they'd agree that everything's fine.

The girl was still chastised for telling her parents what happened.

Are you joking? The school should dismiss her for telling the girl she did wrong by telling her parents, never mind what happened with the picture!!!!

So then they are saying that the child and her family should`nt talk to each other? I hope they read this, or someone shows them this, because I would ask them..........what the H--- is wrong with these idiots?

reply to post by Portugoal


reply to post by Portugoal

Ok the flag code is new to me.

Likewise to all the other 'super Patriots' who think that "showing their patriotism and fighting for the respect of the flag" includes wearing it as a pair of shorts or T-shirt, displaying it upside down, carrying it horizontally as entertainment at a football game, use it as a background in a commercial advertisement, letting it hit the ground, etc, etc, etc (all these examples and more are at the link in my post above).

Likewise most of the posters on this thread whose knee-jerk reaction is to accuse the teacher who correctly criticized the desecration of the flag of being unpatriotic and un-American.

She may not have done a very good job dealing with this student and her parents, but that is an issue for her boss and the parents. Apparently they have dealt with it to their satisfaction and the fact remains that the teacher made the correct call in complete contrast with the reaction of the posters in this thread and the execrable story by Faux News.

This is not an incident that deserves to be a national story used by Faux News as a muck raking attack on honest teacher doing her job correctly.

Faux should be skewered for presenting this story in such a way that it is lending support to the idea that it is OK to desecrate the flag.

[edit on 10/5/2010 by rnaa]

reply to post by rnaa


You can't ignore the rest of my post. To you, who's aware of this "code" which isn't necessarily enforced, it may seem like she is doing her job.

But the teacher had no reply as to why she called it offensive! To me, the act is one of, if not hate towards the flag, at the very least favouritism against the child and misleading the child by saying the flag of her country is offensive.

reply to post by FiatLux

So then they are saying that the child and her family should`nt talk to each other? I hope they read this, or someone shows them this, because I would ask them..........what the H--- is wrong with these idiots?

I find this part of the story hard to believe, myself, but if it is accurate, then it definitely multiplies the teacher's poor handling of the situation.

The teacher doesn't seem to have handled the situation with much expertise, and that is an issue between her, her employer, the student, and the parents to resolve (which has apparently happened).

But she was dead on correct with her judgment of the student's work and attacks on her ethics or imputations of political bias have no place in the story. Period.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."


When I was a kid in public school, I had to say this every morning before school began.



[edit on 11-5-2010 by 30_seconds]