David Crockett Students Are Upset Over Confederate Flag Issue
AP
Students and parents at one Tri-Cities school don’t agree with a decision by the school to not allow any t-shirts, flags or other items with the rebel flag symbol on it. SOUND OFF: Is this infringing on students’ freedom of speech? Were the flags being used to pay tribute or intimidate fellow students?
Published: November 14, 2008
Updated: November 14, 2008
Controversy is swirling at one high school in the Tri-Cities. Several viewers contacted News Channel 11 asking why the rebel flag had been from David Crockett High School.
“They are trying to make them take the stickers off their cars and everything,“
said Devon Lewis, student.
Parents also have issue with the new rule.
“I believe that people should be able to fly the flags they like to fly without everybody getting their feelings hurt,“ said Shawn Berry, parent.
Students said they were told by the school on Wednesday that the rebel flag or t-shirts and other items with the rebel flag on it will not be allowed at the school. Lewis said that students were bringing the rebel flag to school in honor of fellow student Michael Payne who recently died after an ATV accident.
Lewis also told us that several fights broke out at the school between white and Hispanic students, and then the announcement was made to not allow the rebel flag.
“I don’t believe it’s a racial issue at all, it’s just a tribute to Michael,“ Lewis said.
Officials with Washington County Schools did acknowledge Crockett’s principal is not allowing the rebel flag symbol at school.
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Reader Reactions
ccsunflower: you dont’ get it do you. This is about our freedoms as Americans to express ourselves without repression. This Flag is not illegal, it is a bonafide article of our heritage. If you don’t want to acknowledge it then you have that freedom not to, I myself went at lunch today and bought a patch to adorn my jacket for the next two weeks in support of these students and in memorial for the student that has been lost. I want to express my freedom..and I have a right to do so just as these students do. You must not have had a family member serve or die for the freedoms we have or they would mean more to you. Just because you don’t feel the same doesn’t mean that others shouldn’t have the freedom!!!
I love how Americans so easily surrender their freedoms with out a fight, just roll over and play dead.
Thats sad, very sad. I am a Veteran and I fought for this country and my and your freedoms and rights and I will not simply roll over as they continue to take them away.
No wonder things are the way they are.
excuse me, but i think its high time that the washington county school system joins the 21st century. Im a proud DCHS alumni ‘08 and i now go to a major university where students from all over the state, country, and the world attend and the wearing and showing of rebel flags is banned in many other schools systems in the state including nashville and memphis. These systems went so far as to not allow any handkerchiefs of any kind, no flags other than the state or american flags, and no sunglasses worn on the head. These rules are just precautions. Im all for freedom of speech, but when fights are starting and learning is being disrupted, then the system needs to step in. HIgh School years are “supposed” to be the best years of our lives and i think this saying should go to Crockett students as well. We should all help to make crockett a safe and healthy place for students to learn and grow into becoming the productive citizens we all know that each one of them has the potential to be!
Good for Marable. The civil war is over, the south surrendered, and slavery ended. Each of the 11 states are now part of the union. About one hundred and thirty years have passed. There’s no place for the flag in today’s society. If it’s about heritage then what is there to celebrate about the blood shed of Americans by fellow Americans? Over slavery nonetheless? It’s our equivelent to the nazi flag and is rightly associated with racism and violence. Are you really proud of that?
And it reads as follows….....
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the FREEDOM OF SPEECH, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Hmmm seems I missed the part of that little document where it states that “unless you are a high school student with an oppressive principal who is trying to impose his will on you.“
Does anyone else see that written in there?????
This just goes to show everyone the ignorance of our government indoctrination educators. Obviously they don’t even know when it is that they themselves are infringing on a constitutional right. How can we expect these people to prepare our children for the real world outside of school? Here in the real world we are citizens with guaranteed rights protected by our nation’s most precious document….The Constitution.
***** ATTENTION EVERYONE *****
Does it not offend anyone that this site, an attempt at a professional local news site, uses such words as:
Rebel Flag Flap
First off it is the Confederate Battle Flag and secondly it is causing people to be upset because they feel they freedoms or rights have been infringed upon and they call that “FLAP”????
What if they referred to the civil rights movement as “FLAP”
Or the blacks reaction to Barack Obama being elected as “FLAP”
Would they or all of us be insulted?
That is insulting to not refer to the flag as it should be and to use the word “FLAP” is degrading.
Please join in protesting this wording, if you do not your next problem that your concerned with may be “FLAP” as well.
I am just wanting the so called news team to be professional and respectful to all. Not biased as this article cleary is.
I think that it is wrong to ban the flag, it is a part of southern heritage and our history.
Those that think it stands for hate are racist themself. We have freedoms, a few anyway that still remain and this is a violation and I hope an attorney will challenge this and make the county pay.
If a student or faculty can not show pride in their history and heritage being from the south then I am sure that Mr. Marable will also not allow ANY BLACK HISTORY MONTH celebrations.
If we can not display or be proud of our heritage then neither can they.
Fair is fair and if they do have special things or allow Black History Month then maybe students should stand up and not attend school in protest until it is stopped immediately.
I know many associate the Confederate Battle Flag with hate but they need to look deeper, it goes deeper and it is a part of southern heritage and history, like it or not.
O.K. Sounds Like a few people need to grow up after all this is AMERICA and we are talking about a CHILD that a family lost. Has anybody thought about them and how this is affecting them. They lost a son, now his friends can’t even pay respects or deal with his loss without this!!!!! If you live in America then you should respect all things about it! That’s why most come here right, FREEDOM? So let our children have it and do what they feel they need to do to remember a dear friend. People stop and think how this would affect you if it was your child and keep this family in our thoughts and prayers. My heart goes out to these kids and the family of Michael Payne!!!
Maybe you should look up the definition of treason since you think that the confederate flag is treason…NEWSFLASH this is the south and this America and there are people that are fighting every day to make sure we keep our freedom. THIS INCLUDES FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION!!!!! When you start allowing one of our rights to be taken away that is when they will start taking all of them. Everyone deals with death differently and who are you to tell someone they cant remember their friend by a flag that is part of our AMERICAN history…that is no different then someone telling you that when your best friend dies that you should show no emotion, no saddness. If the flag is how they remember their friend I say fly it high and remember and love!!! Without the love you wont have anything…remember the good!!!
Very well spoken mmwish!
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