[eavesdropper]

[quote=flu][quote=Aecetia]Good post flu. What’s wrong with learning Chinese.[/quote]

Nothing, but again, at a PUBLIC school any sort of additional cultural thing should be

1) VOLUNTARY
2) Does not interfere with day to day activity for folks that do not wish to participate.
3) paid by public dollars only AFTER there is enough dollars going into normal school programs OR paid by donations from someone (preferably not a foreign government with strings attached)

So,
*The issue with the CV language program was #1.
*The issue with the May 5 celebration in the school with the old navy flag tshirt controversy was #2
*And a general problem with public schools in CA is #3.

QED.[/quote]

I like this.

Actually, I would be more than happy if the public schools could manage to teach our kids English. All of them. Spelling, syntax, punctuation, sentence structure…I’m getting excited just thinking about it.

I’d like to say that I come to Pigg’s because of the scintillating discourse. In fact, it’s because I need my regular fix of well-stated opinions, written in properly structured and punctuated sentences, and I know I will always find it here.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=flu][quote=Aecetia]Good post flu. What’s wrong with learning Chinese.[/quote]

Nothing, but again, at a PUBLIC school any sort of additional cultural thing should be

1) VOLUNTARY
2) Does not interfere with day to day activity for folks that do not wish to participate.
3) paid by public dollars only AFTER there is enough dollars going into normal school programs OR paid by donations from someone (preferably not a foreign government with strings attached)

So,
*The issue with the CV language program was #1.
*The issue with the May 5 celebration in the school with the old navy flag tshirt controversy was #2
*And a general problem with public schools in CA is #3.

QED.[/quote]

I like this.

Actually, I would be more than happy if the public schools could manage to teach our kids English. All of them. Spelling, syntax, punctuation, sentence structure…I’m getting excited just thinking about it.

I’d like to say that I come to Pigg’s because of the scintillating discourse. In fact, it’s because I need my regular fix of well-stated opinions, written in properly structured and punctuated sentences, and I know I will always find it here.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Arraya][quote=eavesdropper]
It’s time for the madness and polarization to stop, and EVERYBODY needs to man-up! ].[/quote]

you better pray to god the economy gets better. history is pretty clear on what happens with “tribal” mentality in times of economic duress. During the first depression they were rounding up minorities and lynching or deporting them. The gov actually had to make protective camps for migrant workers so the could work without getting harmed. The “progressive gene” only survives in an environment of affluence. Liberals are caught up in a “multicultural” fantasy narrative of progress that was a blip on the larger historical time scale.

With that said. National, ethnic and religious pride are all closely related psychological conditions born out of some primal survival instinct and cultivated over time. Whatever emotions compelled these kids to show “pride” on that day is the what the teachers feared and tried, in an inappropriate manner, to stop. *A* reaction to the situation was completely understandable because they feared conflict. We should all fear it, if economic deterioration continues.[/quote]

What compelled these students to demonstrate “pride” on May 5 was that they were excluded (I believe, unconsciously) via an action that was the result of policy designed to be inclusionary. I think that the administrators, in an effort to make Hispanic students think that the school was aware of their presence and sensitive to their culture, set up this dress code as part of observance of Cinco de Mayo. Instead of saying to the student body as a whole “In respect for the cultural heritage of your fellow students, we will observe Cinco de Mayo”, they essentially said, “On May 5th, you cannot demonstrate any sign that you take pride in being an American.” This appears to me to be the equivalent of waving a red blanket in front of a bull. The only thing that’s shocking to me is that the administration did not anticipate how some non-Hispanic students would react to the dress code.

All of the Live Oak students are playing the administrators like skilled musicians. The Hispanic students are claiming that they are being irreparably harmed by separation from their culture, and the non-Hispanic students are insisting that they are being forcibly denied their rights to show their patriotism. Bullshit! It’s your basic high school power struggle, grown out of playground disputes, and destined to last long into adulthood. The students have learned well from their elders – throw the correct carefully selected words or phrases into the dispute, and it moves a schoolyard fight into the arena of human rights (and squarely into the sights of a hungry press).

You’re right – we should be very concerned about the possibility (probability?) of further economic deterioration. Because as a nation, we have been reduced to a tribal mentality. Civil discourse is rapidly becoming a memory. We are dividing ourselves before any economic condition, any natural disaster, any other country can do it for us. “Man once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind. ”

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Arraya][quote=eavesdropper]
It’s time for the madness and polarization to stop, and EVERYBODY needs to man-up! ].[/quote]

you better pray to god the economy gets better. history is pretty clear on what happens with “tribal” mentality in times of economic duress. During the first depression they were rounding up minorities and lynching or deporting them. The gov actually had to make protective camps for migrant workers so the could work without getting harmed. The “progressive gene” only survives in an environment of affluence. Liberals are caught up in a “multicultural” fantasy narrative of progress that was a blip on the larger historical time scale.

With that said. National, ethnic and religious pride are all closely related psychological conditions born out of some primal survival instinct and cultivated over time. Whatever emotions compelled these kids to show “pride” on that day is the what the teachers feared and tried, in an inappropriate manner, to stop. *A* reaction to the situation was completely understandable because they feared conflict. We should all fear it, if economic deterioration continues.[/quote]

What compelled these students to demonstrate “pride” on May 5 was that they were excluded (I believe, unconsciously) via an action that was the result of policy designed to be inclusionary. I think that the administrators, in an effort to make Hispanic students think that the school was aware of their presence and sensitive to their culture, set up this dress code as part of observance of Cinco de Mayo. Instead of saying to the student body as a whole “In respect for the cultural heritage of your fellow students, we will observe Cinco de Mayo”, they essentially said, “On May 5th, you cannot demonstrate any sign that you take pride in being an American.” This appears to me to be the equivalent of waving a red blanket in front of a bull. The only thing that’s shocking to me is that the administration did not anticipate how some non-Hispanic students would react to the dress code.

All of the Live Oak students are playing the administrators like skilled musicians. The Hispanic students are claiming that they are being irreparably harmed by separation from their culture, and the non-Hispanic students are insisting that they are being forcibly denied their rights to show their patriotism. Bullshit! It’s your basic high school power struggle, grown out of playground disputes, and destined to last long into adulthood. The students have learned well from their elders – throw the correct carefully selected words or phrases into the dispute, and it moves a schoolyard fight into the arena of human rights (and squarely into the sights of a hungry press).

You’re right – we should be very concerned about the possibility (probability?) of further economic deterioration. Because as a nation, we have been reduced to a tribal mentality. Civil discourse is rapidly becoming a memory. We are dividing ourselves before any economic condition, any natural disaster, any other country can do it for us. “Man once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind. ”

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Arraya][quote=eavesdropper]
It’s time for the madness and polarization to stop, and EVERYBODY needs to man-up! ].[/quote]

you better pray to god the economy gets better. history is pretty clear on what happens with “tribal” mentality in times of economic duress. During the first depression they were rounding up minorities and lynching or deporting them. The gov actually had to make protective camps for migrant workers so the could work without getting harmed. The “progressive gene” only survives in an environment of affluence. Liberals are caught up in a “multicultural” fantasy narrative of progress that was a blip on the larger historical time scale.

With that said. National, ethnic and religious pride are all closely related psychological conditions born out of some primal survival instinct and cultivated over time. Whatever emotions compelled these kids to show “pride” on that day is the what the teachers feared and tried, in an inappropriate manner, to stop. *A* reaction to the situation was completely understandable because they feared conflict. We should all fear it, if economic deterioration continues.[/quote]

What compelled these students to demonstrate “pride” on May 5 was that they were excluded (I believe, unconsciously) via an action that was the result of policy designed to be inclusionary. I think that the administrators, in an effort to make Hispanic students think that the school was aware of their presence and sensitive to their culture, set up this dress code as part of observance of Cinco de Mayo. Instead of saying to the student body as a whole “In respect for the cultural heritage of your fellow students, we will observe Cinco de Mayo”, they essentially said, “On May 5th, you cannot demonstrate any sign that you take pride in being an American.” This appears to me to be the equivalent of waving a red blanket in front of a bull. The only thing that’s shocking to me is that the administration did not anticipate how some non-Hispanic students would react to the dress code.

All of the Live Oak students are playing the administrators like skilled musicians. The Hispanic students are claiming that they are being irreparably harmed by separation from their culture, and the non-Hispanic students are insisting that they are being forcibly denied their rights to show their patriotism. Bullshit! It’s your basic high school power struggle, grown out of playground disputes, and destined to last long into adulthood. The students have learned well from their elders – throw the correct carefully selected words or phrases into the dispute, and it moves a schoolyard fight into the arena of human rights (and squarely into the sights of a hungry press).

You’re right – we should be very concerned about the possibility (probability?) of further economic deterioration. Because as a nation, we have been reduced to a tribal mentality. Civil discourse is rapidly becoming a memory. We are dividing ourselves before any economic condition, any natural disaster, any other country can do it for us. “Man once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind. ”

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Arraya][quote=eavesdropper]
It’s time for the madness and polarization to stop, and EVERYBODY needs to man-up! ].[/quote]

you better pray to god the economy gets better. history is pretty clear on what happens with “tribal” mentality in times of economic duress. During the first depression they were rounding up minorities and lynching or deporting them. The gov actually had to make protective camps for migrant workers so the could work without getting harmed. The “progressive gene” only survives in an environment of affluence. Liberals are caught up in a “multicultural” fantasy narrative of progress that was a blip on the larger historical time scale.

With that said. National, ethnic and religious pride are all closely related psychological conditions born out of some primal survival instinct and cultivated over time. Whatever emotions compelled these kids to show “pride” on that day is the what the teachers feared and tried, in an inappropriate manner, to stop. *A* reaction to the situation was completely understandable because they feared conflict. We should all fear it, if economic deterioration continues.[/quote]

What compelled these students to demonstrate “pride” on May 5 was that they were excluded (I believe, unconsciously) via an action that was the result of policy designed to be inclusionary. I think that the administrators, in an effort to make Hispanic students think that the school was aware of their presence and sensitive to their culture, set up this dress code as part of observance of Cinco de Mayo. Instead of saying to the student body as a whole “In respect for the cultural heritage of your fellow students, we will observe Cinco de Mayo”, they essentially said, “On May 5th, you cannot demonstrate any sign that you take pride in being an American.” This appears to me to be the equivalent of waving a red blanket in front of a bull. The only thing that’s shocking to me is that the administration did not anticipate how some non-Hispanic students would react to the dress code.

All of the Live Oak students are playing the administrators like skilled musicians. The Hispanic students are claiming that they are being irreparably harmed by separation from their culture, and the non-Hispanic students are insisting that they are being forcibly denied their rights to show their patriotism. Bullshit! It’s your basic high school power struggle, grown out of playground disputes, and destined to last long into adulthood. The students have learned well from their elders – throw the correct carefully selected words or phrases into the dispute, and it moves a schoolyard fight into the arena of human rights (and squarely into the sights of a hungry press).

You’re right – we should be very concerned about the possibility (probability?) of further economic deterioration. Because as a nation, we have been reduced to a tribal mentality. Civil discourse is rapidly becoming a memory. We are dividing ourselves before any economic condition, any natural disaster, any other country can do it for us. “Man once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind. ”

[eavesdropper]

[quote=Arraya][quote=eavesdropper]
It’s time for the madness and polarization to stop, and EVERYBODY needs to man-up! ].[/quote]

you better pray to god the economy gets better. history is pretty clear on what happens with “tribal” mentality in times of economic duress. During the first depression they were rounding up minorities and lynching or deporting them. The gov actually had to make protective camps for migrant workers so the could work without getting harmed. The “progressive gene” only survives in an environment of affluence. Liberals are caught up in a “multicultural” fantasy narrative of progress that was a blip on the larger historical time scale.

With that said. National, ethnic and religious pride are all closely related psychological conditions born out of some primal survival instinct and cultivated over time. Whatever emotions compelled these kids to show “pride” on that day is the what the teachers feared and tried, in an inappropriate manner, to stop. *A* reaction to the situation was completely understandable because they feared conflict. We should all fear it, if economic deterioration continues.[/quote]

What compelled these students to demonstrate “pride” on May 5 was that they were excluded (I believe, unconsciously) via an action that was the result of policy designed to be inclusionary. I think that the administrators, in an effort to make Hispanic students think that the school was aware of their presence and sensitive to their culture, set up this dress code as part of observance of Cinco de Mayo. Instead of saying to the student body as a whole “In respect for the cultural heritage of your fellow students, we will observe Cinco de Mayo”, they essentially said, “On May 5th, you cannot demonstrate any sign that you take pride in being an American.” This appears to me to be the equivalent of waving a red blanket in front of a bull. The only thing that’s shocking to me is that the administration did not anticipate how some non-Hispanic students would react to the dress code.

All of the Live Oak students are playing the administrators like skilled musicians. The Hispanic students are claiming that they are being irreparably harmed by separation from their culture, and the non-Hispanic students are insisting that they are being forcibly denied their rights to show their patriotism. Bullshit! It’s your basic high school power struggle, grown out of playground disputes, and destined to last long into adulthood. The students have learned well from their elders – throw the correct carefully selected words or phrases into the dispute, and it moves a schoolyard fight into the arena of human rights (and squarely into the sights of a hungry press).

You’re right – we should be very concerned about the possibility (probability?) of further economic deterioration. Because as a nation, we have been reduced to a tribal mentality. Civil discourse is rapidly becoming a memory. We are dividing ourselves before any economic condition, any natural disaster, any other country can do it for us. “Man once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind. ”

[eavesdropper]

[quote=flu][quote=briansd1][quote=Veritas] Those kids were wearing old navy t-shirts, probably had no intention to stir a ruckas. Any kid that took offence to those kids wearing an old navy t-shirt, needs to learn to grow a thicker skin and stop hiding under the free-pass of being a minority. Enough is enough.[/quote]

Flu, I’ve seen this mentioned a few times, so I wanted to comment. There was one kid wearing an Old Navy shirt, but in addition to shirts, there were headbands (apparently always against school policy, no matter the design), shoes, and even swimming trunks. It was fairly obvious that these kids had dug deep into their closets to find stuff that would be in direct violation of the code.

But you’re correct: if anyone was offended by the American flagwear, they need to get over themselves. And this should be across the board: no one should get upset by anyone wearing or waving signs of national pride. It’s just not that big of a deal. If students claim to be traumatized by the sight of another country’s flag or symbol on another student, I say they’re full of shit.

I hear a lot these days from people saying “This isn’t the America I grew up in”. I’ve been around a long time, and I agree. There wasn’t a widely- subcribed-to culture of victimhood when I was a kid. If the words “It isn’t fair” managed to escape our lips in an intact sentence, our parents and teachers quickly disabused us of that notion, and essentially told us to “man up” (boys AND girls).

But over the past forty years, things have changed completely. Now people’s reaction to adversity is to play the victim card: “I’m not educated – take care of me.” “I’ve been discriminated against – take care of me.” “I have a bad back – take care of me.” “Affirmative action stole jobs that should have been mine – take care of me.” Our nation is firmly entrenched in a culture of victimhood, and our political and social discourse has degenerated into a running competition to prove who’s been hurt worse.

While I believe that the school administrators made a bad decision in the first place re: the dress code, there were far better ways for the students and parents to have handled it. Instead, thanks to all involved, the myth of victimhood has once again been reinforced.

How? School officials set up ill-advised policy. (1) Non-Hispanic kids (and parents) feel victimized, and respond with in-your-face flag fervor. (2) The school reacts, causing the Hispanic kids to feel like victims. (3) The news media then sticks their nose in it. The non-Hispanic kids become a cause celebre, reinforcing the view that they are, indeed, victims, and confirming their delusion that they are persecuted patriots. (4) All of the media coverage fires up the Hispanic kids, and, in an effort to prove that THEY are the victims, they abandon the classroom and march on City Hall. MORE media coverage, in all shades of bias.

It’s time for the madness and polarization to stop, and EVERYBODY needs to man-up! For people coming into this country, it is essential that you assimilate. This means that your top priority should be to become fluent in the English language and become self-supporting, and that you comply with all local, state, and Federal laws and regulations. You do not have to give up the traditions of your culture, but they are to be practiced within the limits of your home life, and you do not have a right to expect those of other nations and cultures to support or respect them.

At the same time, people who are fortunate enough to have been born in this country need to stop whining, also. Stop bitching about legal immigration: chances are that your family qualified as immigrants not so many generations ago. Stop labeling entire cultures with the negative attributes of a relative few. Stop blaming personal problems and issues of your own making on people of other races and cultures. And stop using the flag of the United States to wrap yourself in the mantle of victimhood. It’s a desecration of the flag for which my ancestors bled and died. Patriotism is not demonstrated by how vigorously you can wave a flag, or by how well you can put a red, white and blue outfit together. In fact, a genuine patriot is color-blind.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=flu][quote=briansd1][quote=Veritas] Those kids were wearing old navy t-shirts, probably had no intention to stir a ruckas. Any kid that took offence to those kids wearing an old navy t-shirt, needs to learn to grow a thicker skin and stop hiding under the free-pass of being a minority. Enough is enough.[/quote]

Flu, I’ve seen this mentioned a few times, so I wanted to comment. There was one kid wearing an Old Navy shirt, but in addition to shirts, there were headbands (apparently always against school policy, no matter the design), shoes, and even swimming trunks. It was fairly obvious that these kids had dug deep into their closets to find stuff that would be in direct violation of the code.

But you’re correct: if anyone was offended by the American flagwear, they need to get over themselves. And this should be across the board: no one should get upset by anyone wearing or waving signs of national pride. It’s just not that big of a deal. If students claim to be traumatized by the sight of another country’s flag or symbol on another student, I say they’re full of shit.

I hear a lot these days from people saying “This isn’t the America I grew up in”. I’ve been around a long time, and I agree. There wasn’t a widely- subcribed-to culture of victimhood when I was a kid. If the words “It isn’t fair” managed to escape our lips in an intact sentence, our parents and teachers quickly disabused us of that notion, and essentially told us to “man up” (boys AND girls).

But over the past forty years, things have changed completely. Now people’s reaction to adversity is to play the victim card: “I’m not educated – take care of me.” “I’ve been discriminated against – take care of me.” “I have a bad back – take care of me.” “Affirmative action stole jobs that should have been mine – take care of me.” Our nation is firmly entrenched in a culture of victimhood, and our political and social discourse has degenerated into a running competition to prove who’s been hurt worse.

While I believe that the school administrators made a bad decision in the first place re: the dress code, there were far better ways for the students and parents to have handled it. Instead, thanks to all involved, the myth of victimhood has once again been reinforced.

How? School officials set up ill-advised policy. (1) Non-Hispanic kids (and parents) feel victimized, and respond with in-your-face flag fervor. (2) The school reacts, causing the Hispanic kids to feel like victims. (3) The news media then sticks their nose in it. The non-Hispanic kids become a cause celebre, reinforcing the view that they are, indeed, victims, and confirming their delusion that they are persecuted patriots. (4) All of the media coverage fires up the Hispanic kids, and, in an effort to prove that THEY are the victims, they abandon the classroom and march on City Hall. MORE media coverage, in all shades of bias.

It’s time for the madness and polarization to stop, and EVERYBODY needs to man-up! For people coming into this country, it is essential that you assimilate. This means that your top priority should be to become fluent in the English language and become self-supporting, and that you comply with all local, state, and Federal laws and regulations. You do not have to give up the traditions of your culture, but they are to be practiced within the limits of your home life, and you do not have a right to expect those of other nations and cultures to support or respect them.

At the same time, people who are fortunate enough to have been born in this country need to stop whining, also. Stop bitching about legal immigration: chances are that your family qualified as immigrants not so many generations ago. Stop labeling entire cultures with the negative attributes of a relative few. Stop blaming personal problems and issues of your own making on people of other races and cultures. And stop using the flag of the United States to wrap yourself in the mantle of victimhood. It’s a desecration of the flag for which my ancestors bled and died. Patriotism is not demonstrated by how vigorously you can wave a flag, or by how well you can put a red, white and blue outfit together. In fact, a genuine patriot is color-blind.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=flu][quote=briansd1][quote=Veritas] Those kids were wearing old navy t-shirts, probably had no intention to stir a ruckas. Any kid that took offence to those kids wearing an old navy t-shirt, needs to learn to grow a thicker skin and stop hiding under the free-pass of being a minority. Enough is enough.[/quote]

Flu, I’ve seen this mentioned a few times, so I wanted to comment. There was one kid wearing an Old Navy shirt, but in addition to shirts, there were headbands (apparently always against school policy, no matter the design), shoes, and even swimming trunks. It was fairly obvious that these kids had dug deep into their closets to find stuff that would be in direct violation of the code.

But you’re correct: if anyone was offended by the American flagwear, they need to get over themselves. And this should be across the board: no one should get upset by anyone wearing or waving signs of national pride. It’s just not that big of a deal. If students claim to be traumatized by the sight of another country’s flag or symbol on another student, I say they’re full of shit.

I hear a lot these days from people saying “This isn’t the America I grew up in”. I’ve been around a long time, and I agree. There wasn’t a widely- subcribed-to culture of victimhood when I was a kid. If the words “It isn’t fair” managed to escape our lips in an intact sentence, our parents and teachers quickly disabused us of that notion, and essentially told us to “man up” (boys AND girls).

But over the past forty years, things have changed completely. Now people’s reaction to adversity is to play the victim card: “I’m not educated – take care of me.” “I’ve been discriminated against – take care of me.” “I have a bad back – take care of me.” “Affirmative action stole jobs that should have been mine – take care of me.” Our nation is firmly entrenched in a culture of victimhood, and our political and social discourse has degenerated into a running competition to prove who’s been hurt worse.

While I believe that the school administrators made a bad decision in the first place re: the dress code, there were far better ways for the students and parents to have handled it. Instead, thanks to all involved, the myth of victimhood has once again been reinforced.

How? School officials set up ill-advised policy. (1) Non-Hispanic kids (and parents) feel victimized, and respond with in-your-face flag fervor. (2) The school reacts, causing the Hispanic kids to feel like victims. (3) The news media then sticks their nose in it. The non-Hispanic kids become a cause celebre, reinforcing the view that they are, indeed, victims, and confirming their delusion that they are persecuted patriots. (4) All of the media coverage fires up the Hispanic kids, and, in an effort to prove that THEY are the victims, they abandon the classroom and march on City Hall. MORE media coverage, in all shades of bias.

It’s time for the madness and polarization to stop, and EVERYBODY needs to man-up! For people coming into this country, it is essential that you assimilate. This means that your top priority should be to become fluent in the English language and become self-supporting, and that you comply with all local, state, and Federal laws and regulations. You do not have to give up the traditions of your culture, but they are to be practiced within the limits of your home life, and you do not have a right to expect those of other nations and cultures to support or respect them.

At the same time, people who are fortunate enough to have been born in this country need to stop whining, also. Stop bitching about legal immigration: chances are that your family qualified as immigrants not so many generations ago. Stop labeling entire cultures with the negative attributes of a relative few. Stop blaming personal problems and issues of your own making on people of other races and cultures. And stop using the flag of the United States to wrap yourself in the mantle of victimhood. It’s a desecration of the flag for which my ancestors bled and died. Patriotism is not demonstrated by how vigorously you can wave a flag, or by how well you can put a red, white and blue outfit together. In fact, a genuine patriot is color-blind.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=flu][quote=briansd1][quote=Veritas] Those kids were wearing old navy t-shirts, probably had no intention to stir a ruckas. Any kid that took offence to those kids wearing an old navy t-shirt, needs to learn to grow a thicker skin and stop hiding under the free-pass of being a minority. Enough is enough.[/quote]

Flu, I’ve seen this mentioned a few times, so I wanted to comment. There was one kid wearing an Old Navy shirt, but in addition to shirts, there were headbands (apparently always against school policy, no matter the design), shoes, and even swimming trunks. It was fairly obvious that these kids had dug deep into their closets to find stuff that would be in direct violation of the code.

But you’re correct: if anyone was offended by the American flagwear, they need to get over themselves. And this should be across the board: no one should get upset by anyone wearing or waving signs of national pride. It’s just not that big of a deal. If students claim to be traumatized by the sight of another country’s flag or symbol on another student, I say they’re full of shit.

I hear a lot these days from people saying “This isn’t the America I grew up in”. I’ve been around a long time, and I agree. There wasn’t a widely- subcribed-to culture of victimhood when I was a kid. If the words “It isn’t fair” managed to escape our lips in an intact sentence, our parents and teachers quickly disabused us of that notion, and essentially told us to “man up” (boys AND girls).

But over the past forty years, things have changed completely. Now people’s reaction to adversity is to play the victim card: “I’m not educated – take care of me.” “I’ve been discriminated against – take care of me.” “I have a bad back – take care of me.” “Affirmative action stole jobs that should have been mine – take care of me.” Our nation is firmly entrenched in a culture of victimhood, and our political and social discourse has degenerated into a running competition to prove who’s been hurt worse.

While I believe that the school administrators made a bad decision in the first place re: the dress code, there were far better ways for the students and parents to have handled it. Instead, thanks to all involved, the myth of victimhood has once again been reinforced.

How? School officials set up ill-advised policy. (1) Non-Hispanic kids (and parents) feel victimized, and respond with in-your-face flag fervor. (2) The school reacts, causing the Hispanic kids to feel like victims. (3) The news media then sticks their nose in it. The non-Hispanic kids become a cause celebre, reinforcing the view that they are, indeed, victims, and confirming their delusion that they are persecuted patriots. (4) All of the media coverage fires up the Hispanic kids, and, in an effort to prove that THEY are the victims, they abandon the classroom and march on City Hall. MORE media coverage, in all shades of bias.

It’s time for the madness and polarization to stop, and EVERYBODY needs to man-up! For people coming into this country, it is essential that you assimilate. This means that your top priority should be to become fluent in the English language and become self-supporting, and that you comply with all local, state, and Federal laws and regulations. You do not have to give up the traditions of your culture, but they are to be practiced within the limits of your home life, and you do not have a right to expect those of other nations and cultures to support or respect them.

At the same time, people who are fortunate enough to have been born in this country need to stop whining, also. Stop bitching about legal immigration: chances are that your family qualified as immigrants not so many generations ago. Stop labeling entire cultures with the negative attributes of a relative few. Stop blaming personal problems and issues of your own making on people of other races and cultures. And stop using the flag of the United States to wrap yourself in the mantle of victimhood. It’s a desecration of the flag for which my ancestors bled and died. Patriotism is not demonstrated by how vigorously you can wave a flag, or by how well you can put a red, white and blue outfit together. In fact, a genuine patriot is color-blind.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=flu][quote=briansd1][quote=Veritas] Those kids were wearing old navy t-shirts, probably had no intention to stir a ruckas. Any kid that took offence to those kids wearing an old navy t-shirt, needs to learn to grow a thicker skin and stop hiding under the free-pass of being a minority. Enough is enough.[/quote]

Flu, I’ve seen this mentioned a few times, so I wanted to comment. There was one kid wearing an Old Navy shirt, but in addition to shirts, there were headbands (apparently always against school policy, no matter the design), shoes, and even swimming trunks. It was fairly obvious that these kids had dug deep into their closets to find stuff that would be in direct violation of the code.

But you’re correct: if anyone was offended by the American flagwear, they need to get over themselves. And this should be across the board: no one should get upset by anyone wearing or waving signs of national pride. It’s just not that big of a deal. If students claim to be traumatized by the sight of another country’s flag or symbol on another student, I say they’re full of shit.

I hear a lot these days from people saying “This isn’t the America I grew up in”. I’ve been around a long time, and I agree. There wasn’t a widely- subcribed-to culture of victimhood when I was a kid. If the words “It isn’t fair” managed to escape our lips in an intact sentence, our parents and teachers quickly disabused us of that notion, and essentially told us to “man up” (boys AND girls).

But over the past forty years, things have changed completely. Now people’s reaction to adversity is to play the victim card: “I’m not educated – take care of me.” “I’ve been discriminated against – take care of me.” “I have a bad back – take care of me.” “Affirmative action stole jobs that should have been mine – take care of me.” Our nation is firmly entrenched in a culture of victimhood, and our political and social discourse has degenerated into a running competition to prove who’s been hurt worse.

While I believe that the school administrators made a bad decision in the first place re: the dress code, there were far better ways for the students and parents to have handled it. Instead, thanks to all involved, the myth of victimhood has once again been reinforced.

How? School officials set up ill-advised policy. (1) Non-Hispanic kids (and parents) feel victimized, and respond with in-your-face flag fervor. (2) The school reacts, causing the Hispanic kids to feel like victims. (3) The news media then sticks their nose in it. The non-Hispanic kids become a cause celebre, reinforcing the view that they are, indeed, victims, and confirming their delusion that they are persecuted patriots. (4) All of the media coverage fires up the Hispanic kids, and, in an effort to prove that THEY are the victims, they abandon the classroom and march on City Hall. MORE media coverage, in all shades of bias.

It’s time for the madness and polarization to stop, and EVERYBODY needs to man-up! For people coming into this country, it is essential that you assimilate. This means that your top priority should be to become fluent in the English language and become self-supporting, and that you comply with all local, state, and Federal laws and regulations. You do not have to give up the traditions of your culture, but they are to be practiced within the limits of your home life, and you do not have a right to expect those of other nations and cultures to support or respect them.

At the same time, people who are fortunate enough to have been born in this country need to stop whining, also. Stop bitching about legal immigration: chances are that your family qualified as immigrants not so many generations ago. Stop labeling entire cultures with the negative attributes of a relative few. Stop blaming personal problems and issues of your own making on people of other races and cultures. And stop using the flag of the United States to wrap yourself in the mantle of victimhood. It’s a desecration of the flag for which my ancestors bled and died. Patriotism is not demonstrated by how vigorously you can wave a flag, or by how well you can put a red, white and blue outfit together. In fact, a genuine patriot is color-blind.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=svelte] Let me tell you what a school here in San Diego does (or did). We sent our child to Jr High with a bottle of water with his lunch. Sealed, unopened.

We got a call saying it was confiscated. ??? Why, we asked. They said that kids are not allowed to bring water to school because it could be Zima.

I won’t go into the snappy retorts we had to that one…[/quote]

And you have the nerve to call yourself a parent!!

This wouldn’t have happened if you had simply stopped thinking of your own selfish needs long enough to put a couple of cans of Mountain Dew in your child’s lunch instead.

Not only would your child not had the humiliating experience of everyone knowing that he had WATER in his lunch, but his educational experience would have been enhanced by the large amounts of caffeine in Dew. And you and your wife could feel good, knowing that your actions were helping to support the dental care industry in your area.

Everybody wins when you strive to be just a little less self-involved, svelte.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=svelte] Let me tell you what a school here in San Diego does (or did). We sent our child to Jr High with a bottle of water with his lunch. Sealed, unopened.

We got a call saying it was confiscated. ??? Why, we asked. They said that kids are not allowed to bring water to school because it could be Zima.

I won’t go into the snappy retorts we had to that one…[/quote]

And you have the nerve to call yourself a parent!!

This wouldn’t have happened if you had simply stopped thinking of your own selfish needs long enough to put a couple of cans of Mountain Dew in your child’s lunch instead.

Not only would your child not had the humiliating experience of everyone knowing that he had WATER in his lunch, but his educational experience would have been enhanced by the large amounts of caffeine in Dew. And you and your wife could feel good, knowing that your actions were helping to support the dental care industry in your area.

Everybody wins when you strive to be just a little less self-involved, svelte.

[eavesdropper]

[quote=svelte] Let me tell you what a school here in San Diego does (or did). We sent our child to Jr High with a bottle of water with his lunch. Sealed, unopened.

We got a call saying it was confiscated. ??? Why, we asked. They said that kids are not allowed to bring water to school because it could be Zima.

I won’t go into the snappy retorts we had to that one…[/quote]

And you have the nerve to call yourself a parent!!

This wouldn’t have happened if you had simply stopped thinking of your own selfish needs long enough to put a couple of cans of Mountain Dew in your child’s lunch instead.

Not only would your child not had the humiliating experience of everyone knowing that he had WATER in his lunch, but his educational experience would have been enhanced by the large amounts of caffeine in Dew. And you and your wife could feel good, knowing that your actions were helping to support the dental care industry in your area.

Everybody wins when you strive to be just a little less self-involved, svelte.

[Author]

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