Friday, May 7, 2010
Fuck Off Friday : PC Prats
A couple of days ago, a bunch of San Jose school kids were sent home for wearing shirts and hats with something the school found REALLY offensive.
The Stars and Stripes. Old Glory. The American Flag.
The vice-principal, Mr. Rodriguez, claimed that wearing the patriotic garb on Cinco de Mayo was incendiary and possibly racist. The young fellas were told to go home and change or be suspended. These students are generally well-behaved and not known to be bigots. Some of them are of Mexican decent.
Part of the rationale is that cinco is "Mexico's day", but that's not correct. Very few Mexicans celebrate the victory at Puebla save for the ones who make money off of gringos by selling cerveza, sombreros, and tamales. Mexican Independence Day is September 16th. That's when they get down and party.
But what makes Cinco so special that people aren't allowed to display the flag of the nation in which they reside? Are kids no longer permitted to wear Team Brazil shirts during the World Cup so as to not offend those from lower soccer-playing nations? Should they be banned from wearing American (or Mexican) themed attire on May 6th in deference to kids of Syrian descent, July 1st out of respect to the second-largest minority (Canadians), or July 14th so as to not offend those with names like LeBrun or Vachon?
The ACLU is taking the rare position of standing by the students, and I am in full agreement. Nobody but California would witness such an attack on national pride. Since when is being happy that your parents decided to move to a nation and give you the privilege of growing up well a crime? But moreover, children are not adults- they don't directly mean to offend anyone, particularly their friends. It is grown-ups who become incensed , read between lines that do not exist, and divide people.
Fuck off, overly sensitive grown-ups, and just let kids be kids.Allow children to be proud of who they are and stop giving them new things to be ashamed of.
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Imagine that, offensive in their own country! Ridiculous really. Grown-ups really suck sometimes!
ReplyDelete~Bob
RIGHT ON ROOF..I was floored when I read that article yesterday!
ReplyDeleteHere's a problem though. Understand that Mexican/American tensions are really tense right now thanks to immigration reform and this Arizona bill.
ReplyDeleteUnderstand that in California - my state - these tensions are real as well. Undermining Mexican culture on a day that America celebrates it. doesn't surprise me because it's a-holes like this who threw sparks on a political fire. It's like wearing a Confederate flag during Black History Month - insensitive and absolutely suspect timing. Why wear a shirt like that knowing it's going to cause a commotion.
People are just looking for reasons to create an us vs. them attitude with Mexican immigrants and this small-time situation is gonna be a case of proving your patriotism. You know I respect you Mika so I'm giving you some added perspective from the US (and Cali).