"American Values"--Coach Buzzcut's 'Interpretation'


Just as there are caucasians who don't mind racial equality as long as it's predicated on white supremecy, so it goes with those who spew rhetorical bile at the mere thought of any disrespect towards the American flag, except for when they're too busy defiling someone else's:

TWIN FALLS, Idaho -- A high school student says he may file a lawsuit against a physical education teacher who took a Mexican flag he had brought for Cinco de Mayo and put it in the garbage...

Camelo said he was changing into gym clothes at Minico High School in Rupert when Straatman told him, "Give me the flag."

"I said, 'What's the problem?'" Camelo, speaking in Spanish, told The Times-News of Twin Falls. "He said, 'The problem is that we are in the United States and not in Mexico.' He grabbed it from me. He threw the flag in the garbage can."

Camelo said that Straatman told him the flag would be returned at the end of the school day, but that Straatman taunted him instead.

"I asked, 'Where is my flag?'" Camelo said. "He said, 'What, the U.S. flag?' I said, 'No, the one for Mexico.' But he wouldn't give it to me."

Camelo said he then took the undamaged flag out of the garbage. He said he's been contacted by the American Civil Liberties Union and is considering a lawsuit against Straatman.

Camelo and others brought Mexican flags to the south-central Idaho school to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, the May 5 recognition of Mexico's victory over the French army on that day in 1862. About a third of the student body is Hispanic.

Now, I'll be fair: Straatman--as Bill Hicks said about Officer Koon, is life too fucking weird or what?--anyway, Straatman says it's a misunderstanding based at least in part on a language barrier, that he confiscated it in the interest of safety, and that the can was the only storage place available...well, that last one's a bit of a stretch--no suitable storage...at a school? Hmmm...color me more than a little skeptical on THAT point.

OK, I still want to presume the innocence of Mr. Straatman, but nonetheless it appears that this could well be yet another example of the kind of cultural bigotry that demands respect for our values while at best demonstrating depraved indifference if not downright hostility towards others...