Kid Told He Can't Fly US Flag on his BIKE at School...and AWESOMENESS Ensues

[Scurvy]

13-year-old Cody Alicea rides his bike to school with an American flag mounted on the rear fender. He does it because he wants to display his patriotism and honor his grandfather and other veterans.

A few days before Veteran's Day, he was told to remove it so as not to "offend" anyone or fuel "racial" tensions.

DENAIR, Calif. -- A Stanislaus County school is forcing a student to take an American flag off of his bike.

Thirteen-year-old Cody Alicea put the flag there as a show of support for the veterans in his family.

But officials at Denair Middle School told him he couldn't fly it. He said he was told some students had complained.

So now the eighth-grader folds up the flag and puts it in his backpack while he is in class.

His father, Robert Kisner, said his son should not have to put the flag away.

"He's got that flag on his bike because he's proud of where he comes from," Kisner said.

But the superintendent said he's trying to avoid tension on campus.

"(The) First Amendment is important," Superintendent Edward Parraz said. "We want the kids to respect it, understand it, and with that comes a responsiblity."

Parraz said the campus has recently experienced some racial tension. He said some students got out of hand on Cinco de Mayo.

"Our Hispanic, you know, kids will, you know, bring their Mexican flags and they'll display it, and then of course the kids would do the American flag situation, and it does cause kind of a racial tension which we don't really want," Parraz said. "We want them to appreciate the cultures."

Parraz said if a disruption arises over a flag, they want it to be taken down to protect the safety of all students.

The teen's mother said she hopes to talk to the school principal to work something out.

If the US flag causes "racial" tensions in America, we need to seriously consider our failure in educating our youth. The next thing we need to do is understand that certain immigrants (possibly anchor-babies) refuse to assimilate to their new home and, instead, try to force us to adapt to their culture. Far too many stories like this show our willingness to pamper the "offended" by removing the American flag from their sensitive eyes. We need to stop bowing to political correctness.

But, here's the irony:

Outside of the school, a large U.S. flag flies from atop a flagpole.

That big ole' flag on top of that tall pole isn't the problem...it's that little racist one on the back of that kid's bicycle over there!

Source







Now, here's where the awesomeness comes in.

Last Friday, the day after Veteran's Day, the school board changed their minds, allowing Cody to keep the flag on his bike.

Ed Parraz, the Superintendent of the Denair School District told us a school supervisor asked Cody to take down the flag. The supervisor will not be fired or face repercussions. Parraz says the supervisor had information that Cody Alicea's safety was at risk because of the flag. Some students had complained about it and had apparently made threats.

They finally decided (after receiving national attention) that they should be focusing on punishing the bullies instead of the victim. What a novel idea!

Cody got a huge surprise, when the American Legion Riders along with other patriotic Americans decided to escort him to school yesterday morning, hopefully delivering a peaceful message to the "offended" anti-American thugs.

Veterans and patriots arrive early Monday morning to support Cody.

Cody and his proud grandfather.

Cody was a little emotional by the huge turnout of his supporters.

A veteran brings Cody to tears when he gives him his Purple Heart hat during a rally outside Cody's school.

See more pictures here.



As a proud American and veteran, this gave me chills...but completely different than the Chris Matthew's thrill-down-the-leg thing.

[joegrundman]

wow, that's quite a story!

[the_tyrant]

causing "racial tension" by flying an american flag on american soil is the worst excuse i have ever seen

[krashkart]

Caught some highlights this morning on the latest developments. Good on them!

[Reece]

Correct though, people that leave their country and swear allegiance to their new home/country then they must adopt the new countries culture and way of life, this includes fighting for that country and certainly standing under the countries flag! If they don't like that then they should pack up and leave! maybe even forcibly.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Reece

Correct though, people that leave their country and swear allegiance to their new home/country then they must adopt the new countries culture and way of life, this includes fighting for that country and certainly standing under the countries flag! If they don't like that then they should pack up and leave! maybe even forcibly.

Precisely

Way to go Cody

[HunterICX]

Originally Posted by Scurvy

If the US flag causes "racial" tensions in America, we need to seriously consider our failure in educating our youth. The next thing we need to do is understand that certain immigrants (possibly anchor-babies) refuse to assimilate to their new home and, instead, try to force us to adapt to their culture. Far too many stories like this show our willingness to pamper the "offended" by removing the American flag from their sensitive eyes. We need to stop bowing to political correctness.

This

and good on the kid for the support he received from the people who haven't forgot the identity of the nation.

HunterICX

[Betonov]

ahhh, the good kind of patriotism, should have more of it over here. But a purple heart, shouldnt some medal for merit (dont know the names, americans should know which ones) be given to him and not a purple heart, though his confidence might have been injured while bullied

[Oberon]

Cali, say no more, but at least sensibilities won through in the end and good on those who rode with Cody, that's one kid who's going to remember that moment for the rest of his life. Good lad...no...Good man.

[nikimcbee]

Originally Posted by Oberon

Cali, say no more, but at least sensibilities won through in the end and good on those who rode with Cody, that's one kid who's going to remember that moment for the rest of his life. Good lad...no...Good man.

My thoughts too. On a side note, I've heard similar types of stories during fleet week with our PT boat. The anti-military types come out of the woodwork. They don't like our pt boat "coz "it's got guns on it".

[WarlordATF]

The only problem with this story is that the idiot who made the kid take the flag down will not be punished. Racial Tensions over the American Flag?? Too freaking bad this is still the USA and as Americans we should have the right to fly the flag anytime we want.

I'd bet several kids in that school have worn T-shirts with the flag on it, yet because this kid made a statement by flying a flag from his bike he was singled out and punished for his patriotism.

It just seems to me that when i was in school teachers had more common sense and disciplining children was part of their job. We all dealt with bullys growing up, Only these kids are never given a chance to develop the skills needed to deal with them.

A simple schoolyard fight now usually ends up with assault charges, sometimes on both kids and normal kids ending up in the justice system over things we all did as kids. I really dread the day these sheltered children end up in the real world, because no one has bothered to teach them that the world isn't all sunshine and lollypops.

[DarkFish]

Originally Posted by Betonov

ahhh, the good kind of patriotism, should have more of it over here. But a purple heart, shouldnt some medal for merit (dont know the names, americans should know which ones) be given to him and not a purple heart, though his confidence might have been injured while bullied

It's just a hat, not the medal itself

But yeah, good news for the kid

[krashkart]

Good news all around. It shows that we still have some spirit.

[SteamWake]

Huh funny when I posted on this original story I was derided for making a big deal over nothing.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=177027

Glad things are working out though.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Betonov

ahhh, the good kind of patriotism, should have more of it over here. But a purple heart, shouldnt some medal for merit (dont know the names, americans should know which ones) be given to him and not a purple heart, though his confidence might have been injured while bullied

That would be true if he was being officially honored, but this was a case of a purple heart winner giving him a cap out of respect. A veteran is free to give his medals, or anything else, to whomever he likes. The boy wouldn't be free to wear the medal, but a cap? Sure.