It’s time once again for The Future American’s FAIL OF THE WEEK! Every Saturday, I name a person or group who has spent the past seven days behaving in a particularly idiotic way. Since it’s my belief that idiocy knows no politics, nobody is safe.
This week’s fail was brought to you by the administration at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, CA. When commentators like myself give a fail to an educational institution, it’s typically for one of three reasons: a poor record on campus crime, an event generally regarded as inappropriate for students of a certain age, or an atmosphere of insufferable political correctness. This one was found behind Door #3.
Wednesday was Cinco de Mayo, and some Hispanic students celebrated by adorning themselves with the colors of the Mexican flag. That same day, four other students wore American flag T-shirts to school. The second group was sent home by Principal Nick Boden and Assistant Principal Miguel Rodriguez, who “said we were starting a fight, we were fuel to the fire,” according to one of them. They feared that these boys would be a safety risk.
So here’s what must have been going through the admins’ head at the time: “Ah, what a great Cinco de Mayo. Wait, what the hell are those? American flag shirts? On a Mexican holiday? They must be expressing their xenophobia and racism! Oh, dear, what if there’s a racial beatdown? We must stop them before they kill a Hispanic student!” Ridiculous? Of course.
In solidarity with the boys who were sent home and in opposition to a monumentally useless punishment, “many more” students wore American flag T-shirts the next day. In response, 200 Hispanic students walked out of class at Live Oak and nearby Ann Sobrato High School to march through the town, “demonstrating their support for Mexico.” One of them said: “They can be a patriot on some other day. Not that specific day.” Ridiculous? More so.
The only real win in this situation comes from the students who rallied in favor of racial unity on campus. For all intents and purposes, there was no reason for there to be anything but racial unity. The principal later conceded that he may have gone half-cocked, but the May 6 protesters have yet to do the same. They were absolutely wrong to say that they were being disrespected; they made that up and ran with it for the sake of making a point. Anyone can dress like a patriot whenever they feel like it.
