South Carolina teacher suspended for stomping on an American flag

I hope he never gets to teach again and im glad the students told on him

www.rawstory.com...

A teacher in Chapin, South Carolina was suspended this week after students said that during a lesson about symbols, he took an American flag and put it on the floor, then stomped on it.

Students said they weren’t sure what the point of the demonstration was, according to WISTV 10 in South Carolina

Raw Story (s.tt...)

reply to post by goou111


Seems kind of stupid (supposed to be a professional) but at the end of the day it is only a flag. Lets be realistic about it.......

To be totally honest, if i was totally out of toilet paper and had nothing else to hand, i wouldn't be above wiping my arse with a flag. And guess what? It wouldn't mean i had any less respect for the nation of the particular flag i happened to use, it would just mean i had a clean bum.........

Silly and out of context but it does demonstrate my point.

reply to post by Flavian


I agree its just a flag.. but iwhen a teacher stomps on one in a classroom whats he teaching our kids?

Originally posted by goou111
reply to post by Flavian

 

I agree its just a flag.. but iwhen a teacher stomps on one in a classroom whats he teaching our kids?

That flags don't define patriotism.

Being a patriot is not blindly worshiping a symbol. Symbols change. Principles do not.

reply to post by goou111


Hard to say. What was he supposed to be teaching at the time? It could have been something stupid like a misguided demonstration that everything should be questionned or whatever. Or it could be that he is bringing his politics into the classroom, which is a strict no no over here in blighty (not sure for the US though). Teachers are not supposed to show any political leanings over here - students are supposed to formulate their own opinions.

Basically, i would need to see his lesson plans to see where his head was at. And i would wager they aren't forthcoming with that much info!

I understand his point in stomping on it to illustrate the freedom to deface symbols, even if it might have been the wrong thing to do in such a delicate time (and state).

Honors English teacher Scott Compton, at Chapin High School, was reportedly trying to illustrate that students had the freedom to deface symbols without consequence.

Buuut:

I could definitely see a lawsuit.

Teacher was in a public school. Even though students legally lose some of their rights when they enter school (and not being adults), that teacher, unless there was some kind of contract he signed where he relinquished certain rights, he is in a public place and what he did was constitutionally protected, even if tasteless, especially since (or because) he was using it as a lesson-plan (or even if he was just sick of nationalism). In the former some might argue it's tasteless (and they might be right), and in the latter some might argue it's an inappropriate forum (and they might be right).

So, how does the suspension of rights apply to TEACHERS in a public school (since we know students lose some of theirs)?

“Our superintendent served in the military, I served in the military for 20 years, our flag is a symbol of our freedom, and so many people have fought and died for that liberty, and so we take this action very seriously,” a spokesperson for the school told WISTV 10.

Sounds to me like the old "how dare you disrespect the flag i fought for" ego-nationalism kicked in rather than a sound reaction.

ETA:

reply to post by goou111

I hope he never gets to teach again and im glad the students told on him

You're glad the students told on him? How old are you, 12, or just really immature?

You do realize we are supposed to TEACH our children? Not blindly indoctrinate them with our own opinions and viewpoints (even though we do). The teacher had a point, a legally sound, constitutionally protected point that he was using--and trying to TEACH the students, and you hope he never gets to teach just because you don't like what he did and how he did it???

It's thinking like this that aims to take away the constitutional rights of others simply because one doesn't agree with it (see pornography debate).

Another mountain made out of a mole hill..

It is only a flag it means nothing, it is a piece of clothe with a pattern he was probably trying to show how Americas economy is taking a beating or some sort of thing like that using the flag as a demonstration and the kids were too stupid to get the point he was making.

I really hope he gets to teach again, this is madness.

Lawsuit coming, the SCOTUS has already stated you can't be punished for not saying the pledge and that is obviously going to be taken to mean enforcing "patriotic duty" is wrong.

OK?
If the teacher was really doing it to make the point he was claiming, why should he be in trouble?

Is that not one of the points of the flag? Our symbol of freedom? What happened to freedom of speech?

I don't think he should be in trouble.

I don't agree with it, but he should not be in trouble.

But a non-US citizen gets to have freedom of speech?

Piers Morgan if you haven't been made aware yet.

Originally posted by chiefsmom
OK?
If the teacher was really doing it to make the point he was claiming, why should he be in trouble?

Is that not one of the points of the flag? Our symbol of freedom? What happened to freedom of speech?

I don't think he should be in trouble.

I don't agree with it, but he should not be in trouble.

edit on 10-1-2013 by chiefsmom because: addition

it doesnt matter what point he was making.. hes a teacher in America he knows you dont deface our flag period

reply to post by goou111

I hope he never gets to teach again and im glad the students told on him

For stomping on the American flag? You're over reacting, I think.

Honestly, we need a new national symbol anyway. I'm thinking a condom would do nicely...

reply to post by goou111


It's perfectly legal to deface the flag as the SCOTUS has stated numerous times.

reply to post by antonia


It actually isn't. You burn the American flag, it's a federal offense. Defacing government property and all that.

Originally posted by Liquesence

Honors English teacher Scott Compton, at Chapin High School, was reportedly trying to illustrate that students had the freedom to deface symbols without consequence.

What a nice lesson to teach the kids......

Stomp on my flag even though it is perfectly legal and constitutional and get sacked.

I think he made his point very well. That there IS a consequence.

reply to post by goou111



just some fabric, yes.

When it is used as a symbol, it is a symbol. Simple enough right?

This guy was teaching a class on symbolism. What he did had meaning. He wasn't stomping on the flags fabric, he was stomping on the flag.

F-U and leave if you don't like it. The hell is wrong with you?

Is it normal for people to move into your house that hate your guts and stomp on your grandmothers picture?
No! go next door your psychopath and leave us alone. There ARE other houses, you dont have to live with us.....

Originally posted by AfterInfinity
reply to post by antonia

 

It actually isn't. You burn the American flag, it's a federal offense. Defacing government property and all that.

No, it's not.

The flag of the United States is sometimes symbolically burned, often in protest of the policies of the American government, both within the country and abroad. The United States Supreme Court in Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989), and reaffirmed in U.S. v. Eichman, 496 U.S. 310 (1990), has ruled that due to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, it is unconstitutional for a government (whether federal, state, or municipality) to prohibit the desecration of a flag, due to its status as "symbolic speech." However, content-neutral restrictions may still be imposed to regulate the time, place, and manner of such expression.

en.wikipedia.org...

The SCOTUS has ruled twice on it and struck down every flag burning law Congress has passed in the last twenty years. It is perfectly legal to deface the flag in symbolic protest.

Ironically, perhaps his lesson was successful.

For using his 1st Amendment right to expression, he treated a "symbol" in a certain way, and look at the result!

I don't agree, but he has a right to do so and he should not have been fired.

reply to post by HandyDandy



there are laws covering the flag actually. He should have checked. He didn't do his homework and he now faces the consequences. Seems like an appropriate lesson.

Originally posted by Flavian
reply to post by goou111

 

Seems kind of stupid (supposed to be a professional) but at the end of the day it is only a flag. Lets be realistic about it.......

To be totally honest, if i was totally out of toilet paper and had nothing else to hand, i wouldn't be above wiping my arse with a flag. And guess what? It wouldn't mean i had any less respect for the nation of the particular flag i happened to use, it would just mean i had a clean bum.........

Silly and out of context but it does demonstrate my point.

That he had dirty shoes?