Who's disrespecting whom?

OK, first off, go read this.

The synopsis: Yesterday, five kids were sent home from a Kalifornia public school for refusing to remove their "disrespectful" apparel.

Was this some new fad in clothing with graphic pictures of sex and/or violence? Did the clothing contain a vulgar or offensive message? Apparently, the school administration thinks the latter. They were depictions of the American flag. Dude...wait, what?

Oh, that's right--yesterday was "Mexican Independence Day."

“They said we could wear it on any other day...but today is sensitive to Mexican-Americans because it’s supposed to be their holiday so we were not allowed to wear it today.”

Now, Cinco de Mayo is not the only foreign holiday observed in this country. One might point out that less than two months previously, another holiday was observed far and wide across this great land of ours--St. Patrick's Day, an Irish holiday.

Ever been to a SPD parade? Along with rivers of green beer, two-for-one Guinness specials, shamrocks, kilts, bagpipes and the Green, White and Orange of the Emerald Isle, you see plenty of American flags being flown. And many of those waving our flag proudly are...Americans of Irish descent.

These folks are celebrating their history, traditions and culture on what is, to them, a very special day. They aren't ashamed of where they come from. But they recognize that they are, first and foremost, Americans, and almost to a person, they are fiercely proud of it. (And remember, "NO IRISH NEED APPLY" signs used to be pretty common in this country a while back. Somehow, they're not bitter.)

Contrast this with a bunch of people who act like they're ashamed to be here. If these folks are so pro-Mexico and anti-America, perhaps they should move south and become naturalized Mexican citizens...although they might have second thoughts when they read the Mexican Constitution.

It may come as a shock to the administration and student majority of Live Oak High, but the People's Republic of Kalifornia is still part of the United States. As in, "not Mexico." There is not one single day on any calendar that any American citizen in this country should ever have to apologize for flying the Red, White and Blue, let alone be told to remove it. If anyone should apologize, it's the whiny little punks who obviously don't appreciate being Americans.

And the offended students should apologize as well.