Teacher Deems American Flag 'Offensive'

Originally posted by rnaa
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.

Well she never explained herself to the students OR the parents, therefore attacks on her ethics have a place here. She had no answer for why she found it offensive. She just did... does that not seem strange to you?

As much as I hate the MSM, just because it is from 'Faux' news doesn't mean you must ignore EVERY OTHER detail but only recognize those that fit what you want.

There is a collage of the American flag hanging in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in NYC. Jasper Johns is the artist.

Originally posted by DogsDogsDogs
There is a collage of the American flag hanging in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in NYC. Jasper Johns is the artist.

And I'm sure this art teacher would also find it "offensive."

This however, IS the epitomy of art... to her!

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/a5a0975bb43c.jpg[/atsimg]

I like how it captures the intensity in his eyes.

[edit on 11-5-2010 by Portugoal]

reply to post by rnaa


I can understand that, it happened to us.

Our 13 year old was sent to see the school councillor, and he informed her that she shouldn’t tell us (her parents) that she had been sent to him.

She came straight home and told us, my husband went berserk and rang up they school ... he told them a thing or two I'm pretty sure the school was glad we were leaving as we had a new posting to go to

reply to post by rnaa


It would be dead on correct, if she was talking to an adult and not a child. It`s a childs picture for goodness sake, not something an adult drew just to offend someone. And the child was suppose to know it was offensive? Gee, all the teacher had to do was explain to the child why it is offensive to write on a flag, and do it in a nice way, and let it go at that.

reply to post by Portugoal

You can't ignore the rest of my post.

I'm not.

But I suspect that you are ignoring that I said in each of my posts that the teacher did a bad job of handling the situation and didn't explain herself properly to either the student or the parents.

None of the posts in this thread attacked the teacher for doing a bad job of explaining herself. They all attacked her for being unpatriotic and biased, and that is what I was addressing because it is wrong headed.

An poorly worded interaction to a student doesn't make the teacher unethical or biased or unpatriotic. People who make accusations like that should make it their business to know what the heck they are talking about before they make fools of themselves and that is what I was addressing because it is wrong headed.

What the poorly worded interaction does do is make her a human being with human imperfections. As the superintendent said, there are thousands of interactions of a similar nature everyday. Parents who are involved in their children's education SHOULD question the teachers actions, I have no problem with that, especially when the child is upset, but that doesn't mean that the teacher is unethical, politically biased, or 'picking on' one student or favoring another.

reply to post by FiatLux

Gee, all the teacher had to do was explain to the child why it is offensive to write on a flag, and do it in a nice way, and let it go at that.

Yes, that is exactly what I have said in everyone of my posts.

Since the American flag does not fall under obscenity, and it was a public school district, the school administrators had no right in criticizing the art piece. It makes me question what the hell is going on in peoples minds to find that offensive.

Also, a side-bar, why the hell is it important that it was on the same day that a child drew an Obama picture? What does that have any relevance on anything in that news article? Do these people know the four W's of journalism, or are they so sanguinary in their desire to cram as much ultra-conservative fuel into their articles that they just find a reason to put Obama into all of their articles. Way to be a legitimate news source, Fox. No wonder more people get their news from wordpress.

[had to edit it because I'm tired like a mofo and was thinking about a different article. Ignore my stupidity.]

[edit on 5-11-2010 by WolfofWar]

NO, All the teacher had to do was keep her mouth shut OR praise the kid for being so patriotic.

BUT THATS NOT ALLOWED. YOU SHOULD FEEL GUILTY FOR WAVING THAT FLAG!

::spits on that teacher::

You are not fit to be teaching our children.

reply to post by rnaa


Actually I never ignored any of what you said. I actually quoted it.

The fact remains, that any one who TEACHES kids should be able to describe to an adult (the dad) or child(ren) why he or she finds anything offensive, especially something like a national flag. She had no answer to why it was offensive. That's why we can question her.

reply to post by WolfofWar


The Obama link? We're dealing with FOX here.

But I'm sure it left some kids wondering why the leader was praised and why the flag was thrown under the bus.

reply to post by Portugoal


I could understand that, I just don't really feel like it's the important part of the article. It's sort of like they just had to jab it in there, when it really had no relevance to be there at all. Just makes Fox lose it's credibility.

I find it odd, that as a teacher, one thing that stands at the top of the list that a teacher must have is......tact. When it comes to being the one in charge of teaching what this child, or any child is going to use the rest of her life, she didn`t use the very first thing on the list. In fact, it was like she never heard of the word, and what it means.

The article posted above is nothing but a trap to get you to yell "Go USA, BOO Obama" and it's peddled by Faux Noise much in the way a pedophile peddles candy from a shady van.

"Come here, we've got your news for you, sweet and sticky and you'll be unable to resist"

A flag is nothing but an object in which people put emotional value behind. Let's forget about worshiping an inanimate object (tsk, tsk, what does the Bible say about THAT?) and just accept that there are going to be others who disagree?

If she finds the American flag offensive then she should move to a country that has a flag that doesn't offend her.

Any teacher that tells a child not to get their parents involved should be fired.

If a teacher ever tells one of my grandchildren not to tell me or my son something that happened in school they're gonna be in for a rude awakening. What kind of teacher does that ?!

reply to post by WolfofWar


I agree. Wrapping yourself in the flag doesn't make you any more patriotic, especially when you don't understand the proper protocols and end up desecrating the very symbol you think you are honoring. It just makes you a jingoistic fool.

That said, since the American flag does not fall under obscenity, and it was a public school district, the wearing of clothes falls under the first amendment, and the school administrators had no right in demanding them to remove those articles of clothing.

See The American Flag Wall of Shame for some examples of ILLEGAL DESECRATION of the flag by some of those so-called 'uber-patriotic' types you are talking about.

And just FYI:

United States Code Title 4 Chapter 1 — The Flag

§8. Respect for flag

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

1. The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.
2. The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
3. The flag should never be carried flat or horizontally, but always aloft and free.
4. The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker's desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.
5. The flag should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a manner as to permit it to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in any way.
6. The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.
7. The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.
8. The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.
9. The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.
10. No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart.
11. The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning

Note also numbers 3, 9, and 10.

How many football games desecrate the flag during pre-game or half-time shows in the name of patriotism?

How many advertisers are wrapping themselves in the flag to sell some product or other as if it makes them more American than their competetors to desecrate the flag in this way?

How many people think it is patriotic to desecrate the flag by sewing a patch onto their cap or baseball uniform?


edit: I'm responding to your original post, not the editted version. I hope it still makes sense.


[edit on 11/5/2010 by rnaa]

[edit on 11/5/2010 by rnaa]

[edit on 11/5/2010 by rnaa]

reply to post by rnaa


Rnaa, Supreme Court has overturned almost all of the flag law that any desecration of the flag (wearing it, abusing it, being a fool with it, whatever) is protected as symbolic speech.

still, it's gaudy as all hell to wear the flag.

reply to post by rnaa


You're accusing people of saying that the teacher is unpatriotic and un -American because they are assuming that she found the picture of the flag offensive and not that she was offended by the girl writing on the flag.

Aren't you doing the same thing when you assume that it was the writing on the flag that she found offensive and not the flag itself ?

She refused to answer when the girl's father asked her what she found offensive about the picture. So all that is left is for people to speculate as to what was offensive to her. You have your speculations and other have their's.

reply to post by WolfofWar


I think it's because the mother made an issue about the Obama picture.

“The picture of Barack Obama was in red, white and blue hues,” Hathaway said. “The teacher said it was great. But when it comes to the flag – all of a sudden it was offensive?”

Hathaway said she was especially concerned that a picture of President Obama was praised yet a picture of the American flag was deemed offensive.

www.foxnewsradio.com...

reply to post by chise61


Still has no relevance to the article. It's obviously not what the teacher was upset about, it was either the words on the flag or the idea of drawing the flag where people may get offended by the object.