College students, mother and father rally in help of Oklahoma teen instructed by college to not fly American flag from truck
A high school student in Oklahoma is drawing widespread help after he was instructed he couldn’t fly the American flag from his truck.
Edmond North Excessive Faculty senior Caleb Horst stated college officers instructed him on Aug. 21 that it was college observe to not carry flags onto campus. Nevertheless, Horst instructed native information station KOCO that he is been flying the flag from his truck “for fairly some time” with none issues.
“I’ve by no means actually had issues with it earlier than, and it’s our First Amendment, so it’s type of arduous for them to infringe upon our rights,” Horst stated.
On Monday morning earlier than lessons began, college students and oldsters rallied to help Horst and the proper to fly the flag. Based on KOCO, about 50 autos displaying American flags circled the varsity in protest.
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“I’ve received a brother within the army so it type of hit dwelling to me ‘trigger I used to be like he’s preventing for that flag, we needs to be allowed to fly it. It’d be totally different if we had been making an attempt to make a political assertion, however there’s nothing political about it,” Edmond North senior Vance Miller stated.
“If it is the flag in the present day, what’s it tomorrow?” Lynn McNeely, one father or mother of an Edmond North scholar stated. “It’s not a protest. It’s not political. It’s not about pink. It’s not about blue. It’s about pink, white and blue. So, the place can we draw the road?”
“Ultimately, we’re all American, all united below that flag, and there’s not something anybody can do to separate us,” Horst stated.
Edmond Public Colleges denied their stance on flag flying had something to do with patriotism. They instructed KOCO the observe was about security and to keep away from turning into a distraction.
“It’s the observe of Edmond Public Colleges to not allow college students to fly or carry flags of any type on our college campuses. This observe has been in place for a number of years and is defined to our college students at first of the varsity 12 months together with varied different insurance policies and procedures. That is designed to stop disruptions and distractions in the course of the college day. It’s also finished in an effort to supply a protected college setting as flying flags on autos creates issues of safety within the parking zone in addition to could cause harm to different autos,” Edmond Public Faculty officers stated in an announcement supplied to Fox Information Digital.
“To be clear, this isn’t concerning the American flag or patriotism. Edmond Public Colleges proudly shows the American flag prominently and within the correct, respectful approach exterior every of our buildings and in our lecture rooms. Not solely can we recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning as we begin our college day, however we additionally current the colours and play the nationwide anthem at most of our athletic occasions. All of these items are finished within the correct trend in keeping with flag etiquette.”
The controversy caught the eye of Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters and “Dukes of Hazzard” star John Schneider, who posted movies on-line in help of the coed.
Walters stated on Monday that the state could be issuing new pointers to districts relating to college students’ rights to fly the American flag.
“No college in Oklahoma ought to inform college students they cannot wave an American flag. We have had People die for that flag, die for college students to have the proper to hold the flag, to wave the flag, to be pleased with that American flag,” Walters stated in a video posted to X. “My division proper now could be engaged on pointers that we’ll be issuing to districts to make sure that no scholar is ever focused for having an American flag and likewise that our colleges will promote patriotism.”
Schneider praised the coed on social media, ending his video with a “yeehaw!”
“I wish to applaud Caleb Horst and all the great people who find themselves supporting him in Edmond, Oklahoma,” he said in a video posted to Fb. “Everybody who has proven up with flags on their vans and flags on their vehicles, these are the sorts of individuals we have to not solely help however shout their names and their patriotism from our rooftops and from our bumpers.”
Authentic article supply: Students, parents rally in support of Oklahoma teen told by school not to fly American flag from truck
