Local News Story

One of the boys father is a Policeman and the other a Fireman.
On Sept. 11th they wanted to honor those killed in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

They carried a Thin Blue and Thin Red Line Flag onto the Field on Sept. 11th and now they are suspended indefinitely.

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Power says he saw the flags as symbols of a political point of view and didn’t want to set a precedent.

You ignorant ass; supporting the Police a Firefighters is not political!

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Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

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Power says he saw the flags as symbols of a political point of view and didn’t want to set a precedent.

You ignorant ass; supporting the Police a Firefighters is not political!

Sure it is. Police and Firefighters are part of the system. If you are GDC scum then anyone supporting a part of the system you are trying to destroy is obviously being political.

Oh for a vat of boiling tar and a truckload of feathers...

I am not a lawyer.

I am, though, a pretty big fan of the First Amendment, and I seem to recall that when the government CAN show a compelling public-policy reason to restrict 1st Amendment activity, they still better be ready to prove that the restrictions are applied in a content-neutral manner.

Superintendent better pray nobody can dig up video of a sanctioned or permitted "Free Speech" activity at another game, or they'll be taking out new bonds to settle the lawsuit to come. Also, good luck trying to claim that a scholastic football game, south of the Mason-Dixon, isn't a traditional "public forum" for 1st Amendment activities.

Apparently the superintendent doesn't care much for the police that are typically at games for security and the firefighter/medics there to care for injured players.

Bet that makes them feel awesome to be there.

I think the biggest issue is that the boys asked permission and were denied. They did it anyways. While I don’t have an issue with the flags they carried out, they were insubordinate.

They shouldn’t have asked permission. It wouldn’t have put the school in a hard spot. The school could have said “didn’t know they were doing this and it’s not an issue”. Now if the school doesn’t do something, it allows for others do do as they wish, without fear of repercussions.

I don’t think what they did was wrong. I do think how they went about it was a poor decision in their part.

I remember when they used to commemorate the first responders that lost their lives on Sept 11, it was only a few years ago they were hero's. Now somehow it's political to honor those that made the greatest sacrifice possible?

The superintendents argument doesn't hold any water, it was the 19th anniversary of the day of the greatest loss of American lives in history. If it was a week after the riots started, I could see an argument for it being political, but they started over a hundred days ago.

Fuck this climate we've created.

That also happened at another local school football game here in Ohio. I don’t think the kids got suspended as no one knew ahead of time. The superintendent sent out a hastily prepared letter to parents thinking that everyone would accept his decision to ban the Blue Line flags. The community turned on him in a flash.

shoulda done it and asked after

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I don’t think what they did was wrong. I do think how they went about it was a poor decision in their part.

I am guessing it went something like this. Coach says we are running on the field with flags next week, boys say cool, our dads are first responders we'd like to honor them and the sacrifices their brothers made. The boys probably didn't think that it was anything political, or think four steps ahead to what would happen as it was such an innocent request.

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shoulda done it and asked after

Why would they think they needed to sneak flags supporting first responders onto the field?

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Originally posted by Skins2881:

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shoulda done it and asked after

Why would they think they needed to sneak flags supporting first responders onto the field?

Why did they ask permission?

That’s my point, if you believe in something and what you’re doing isn’t wrong, just do it.

If you ask permission and are denied, doing it anyways, even if what you’re doing isn’t wrong, now it is wrong as you have been denied permission. Now it is insubordination.

My guess is as I posted above that it was more of a statement than a question. "cool, our dads are first responders we'd like to honor them and the sacrifices their brothers made." Not knowing that it was controversial.

Insubordination or not, they did what our Constitution allows and what every American should have done in that circumstance.

If I were those boys my next step would be to document every single instance of political speech on campus and call for suspensions of every teacher making a political statement.

This doesn’t sound like they made a statement”

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From the linked news article:
The boys are now suspended from their team after not heeding a warning to leave the Thin Blue Line and Thin Red Line flags that represent fallen firefighters and police officers off the field.

The problem is, the boys had asked the school permission prior to the game and they were denied and told if they defied the order, there would be consequences.

Jesse, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. I absolutely support our first responders. I don’t have any issue with WHAT these boys did.

I have an issue with HOW they did it.

They asked, they were denied. They were told there would be consequences. They did it anyways. If the school does nothing and no punishment is given, it sets a precedent. Now if the Varsity basketball team comes out on the court with BLM flags and takes a knee during the anthem, what can the school do?

There has to be rules and they have to be followed.

Back to what has been stated. They shouldn’t have asked. What they were doing wasn’t wrong. Just do it.

I teach my kids that for the right reasons, some rules and laws are to be disobeyed if you truly believe it is necessary. I also teach them there may be consequences and they have to be ready for those. This is independent thinking, and in today’s lawyered up, padded walls, and political screaming in the end you need to be accountable to yourself and your values.

The boys did right by asking. In my opinion, they did right by carrying the flags as that mattered most to them and was a truly genuine statement. The school has no common sense - to be expected today, especially in EDU, and they will need to find another path forward as that school is done. I’m sure some nice private school scholarships will be in their future.

Rules are not to be ignored, laws are to be respected. But growing up and succeeding ultimately is about honoring your values, following the constitution and doing what is right and fair. Sometimes that means working around those rules, but be able to pay the consequences. Open eyes and choices - we all have free will.

The rest of the team needs to turn their stuff in. In support of those who were suspended.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: MRBTX,

The boys screwed up when they asked permission and then went against the Administration's decision . Now they have no defense . I hate it , but that's the way it is .

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This doesn’t sound like they made a statement”

I don't think you understand what I'm saying. Let's make a different example. Your son has a friend named Bobby. The usually go to the movies on Friday nights, it's always been allowed, and it's pretty much routine. You say hey the Mets are are playing Friday night, you want to watch the game? He responds no, I was planning on going to see the new xyz movie with Bobby on Friday, you respond no I don't want you hanging out with that bobby kid anymore, I heard he got a D in math class. No question was asked, but an answer was given.

My point is it's something so innocuous that they likely didn't ask permission, but stated what they intended to do and got an answer they wouldn't have expected. It doesn't change the insubordination, but it explains why the school can say "they asked permission and was denied."

I could be way off, I'm just speculating. Maybe they did go to the school and say "given how controversial honoring fallen hero's are, may I have your permission to pay my respects to their sacrifice, and honor my father."

Now you get what I'm try to say?

My wife and I were commenting that we have not seen as many American Flags since 9/11. They're everywhere - on houses, businesses and in stake pockets of pickups running around.

And these boys had the audacity to carry flags to a football game in America? The nerve.

By the way - a friend was looking for a Biden sign to steal, but couldn't find one.
Mike

The irony in it all is that it was “Patriot Night” at the football and the district was honoring those police officers and firefighters lost during the 9-11 attacks in 2001.

Well if someone with half a brain was in charge and they decided to punish for insubordination then the players would have been running sprints and laps after practice. It wouldn't have set anything off on the radar. School admin stepped on their own dick on this one. That being said I would buy enough small American flags like they hand out at Memorial Day parades so each player could carry one the next time they entered the field.