Students Banned From Bringing American Flag To High School Football Game – Richard

Colin Kaepernick's disrespect for the American flag is just the latest in a disturbing trend as the “P.C. Police” seem to amass more influence and power and a nation appears less and less connected with it's roots.

San Francisco 49's Quarterback Colin Kaepernick says he won't stand for the National Anthem again until he sees significant progress – specifically when it comes to race relations in the United States. Kaepernick, who seems to have been raised well, earns millions to play ball and has all the spoils of a modern day American athlete, including fancy cars and a huge home. It appears he's done okay in America, no? Kaepernick's celebrity affords him a platform from which to bring about positive change. Instead he has chosen to focus attention to himself. Kind of like throwing a tantrum. Problem is, while everyone is focused on the tantrum no one is paying attention to his message.

Kaepernick is just the latest outrage to offend America. Last Friday officials with the Travelers Rest High School District in South Carolina banned students from bringing American flags to the football game against rival Berega High School. The reason given by Principal Lou Lavely was that many Berega students are Hispanic and the flags might be used to “taunt” those students.

Television station WNCN quotes Lavely as saying, “Some events at last evening’s football game have resulted in concerns being raised in our community. I am writing to assure that any decisions made regarding American flags being permitted into the game were made in the best interests of all attending the game and in the spirit of patriotism and respect for our flag,” Lavely wrote in response to Facebook backlash about the ban, which turned away several students who came to the game with American flags.

Lavely went on tho say, “Any decision to not allow the American flag to be used in an improper ‘taunting,’ unsportsmanlike manner is first and foremost in the interests of promoting the safety and well-being of all in attendance at school events. This decision would be made anytime that the American flag, or any other symbol, sign, cheer, or action on the part of our fans would potentially compromise the safety of all in attendance at a school event.”

WNCN says Lavely's statement assured community members that officials “have the utmost respect for our flag and strive to display the highest levels of patriotism,” and the school supports veterans, but the potential for taunting was too much to allow the American flag inside of the stadium.

The local police department issued it's own statement disavowing the move and even suggested challenging the decision.

In recent months American flags were ordered removed from Upstate New York fire trucks and we see young people through various social media sites stomping on American flags with some sort of enthusiasm. School districts in the Southwest have banned kids from wearing flag clothing to school so as not to offend Mexicans. Still other districts are allowing students to “opt out” of the Pledge of Allegiance.” And yet everyday young Americans still put on the uniform of their country with pride in order to defend and protect that flag.

We are wandering further and further away from what makes us great as a nation and as a people. We worship less, we participate less, respect for authority is wavering and we've lost our sense of history. If we continue to allow our national pride to diminish and fail to defend our traditions we are doomed to extinction.