June 4 Pioneer Press "Bloomington students suspended after waving Confederate flags" by John Brewer.
Three seniors at Bloomington's Kennedy High School (by Twin Cities, Minnesota) were suspended and missed graduation ceremonies after waving Confederate flags in a school parking lot Tuesday.
The mother of one says the boys didn't know the racist message the flag carries. She said they're just fans of racing and the Dukes of Hazzard.
District spokesman Rick Kaufman said, "The Confederate flag is seen as a symbol of hate and bigotry and racism." The district has had issues with it before and has made efforts to educate as to the flag's offensiveness. One of the boys was suspended last year for the same reason.
All three will get their diplomas.
The comments were quite interesting and as of yesterday there were 133. Something like this always gets lots of comments. Four of interest:
"So much for 12 years of lessons about 'Free Speech.'"
"I'm curious to know which flag they actually flew..." and continued to tell the difference between the flags.
"Confederate flag means one thing, Slavery and Treason."
One person who said she was black on Southerners, "...I can understand their clasping the flag in honor and memory of their brave ancestors. I understand it and I withhold judgement about its use unless I see it being paraded around by klansmen or being used as a symbol of white supremacy."
This last person made a good point. Unfortunately, during the Civil Rights Movement, the Confederate Battle Flag often showed up against the efforts and has been used by enough hate groups to make it viewed as the symbol many now attach to it. I can certainly understand it.
However, people do need to know that this flag also means pride in one's ancestors and not the hate so often it is blames for.
I'd have to say the mother wasn't telling the truth. These boys knew exactly what they were doing.
And the Controversy Goes On. --Old B-R'er
The Battle of Fort Fisher, N.C.
