Idaho student says teacher tossed his Mexican flag in trash

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.

Clint Straatman denies Froylan Camelo's version of events but said he took the flag Monday because "white kids" might have hurt the 16-year-old. He said he put it in a garbage can because he had no place else to keep it.

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".

news.yahoo.com...

Is school officials refusing to allow a foreign flag on school property, in the same way school administrators in the south refusing to allow the Confederate flag on school property?

[edit on 7-5-2008 by Master_Wii]

The teacher shouldn't have taken the flag and put it in the garbage. But the student doesn't really have the case for a legit lawsuit.

Sounds like the typical gym teachers I had growing up. I will bet he sicced his jocksquad on the poor kid. PE teachers su!!

Um, this is the United States of America, The student is not suppose to fly any other flags in this country, from another country (have to make that clear, as there are other flags)

... in the great book of offending people.. the instructor is probably a patriot and felt the need to make a stand for his rights as a US Citizen.

I'm so sick of people getting "offended" cause they can't have their way in our Country.

I hope the Judge tells this student the same thing!

Maybe the instructor shouldn't have thrown away someone else's property, but again, We Fly The American Flag in this Country, Not The Mexican Flag, Not the Canadian Flag, Not the Irish Flag, Not the "any other country" Flag.

But since Mexico is taking over this country I guess it's ok right? NO!
This is still the United States of America and we will fly only 1 Flag. You don't like it, then go home and fly your flag. If I fly my flag in another country I'm going to get the same treatment.

ok now should the teacher have thrown away that kid's flag.. no, but i believe that he did have a right to take it away. This reminds me of the guy in Reno that cut down the Mexican flag that was above the American flag.



youtube.com...

[edit on 5/7/2008 by denynothing]

I'm very proud of that Vet!

Flying the USA Flag is the only Flag Allowed in Our Country!

If the Mexicans want to Show their Patriotism they need to fly our Country Flag, cause if it wasn't for us, they would still be stuck in Mexico under the terrible regrime of that government (not to say ours is any better, the GOP).

THE TIME IS NOW, WE MUST STAND AND FIGHT .... cause we ARE LOOSING the battle on our own home land.

reply to post by denynothing

Did anyone read the hate towards that Vet on the YouTube page about that video? I mean seriously, I bet most are illegals or kids... it's a shame to see this happening...

The Lord did say that man's heart will grow cold near the end of days... guess we're getting really close to that... however, with the internet, anyone can sign up and post what ever they want without getting their mouths washed out with soap or spanked cause of their wrong doing. I hated getting a spanking when I was a kid, but it taught me right from wrong. And I'll do it to my children if need be. (granted I don't have any kids and am not looking forward to getting any to raise in this forsaken world).


EDIT:
Actually the hate comments were on this page instead:
YouTube

[edit on 7/5/2008 by wyldwylly]

I don't think the teacher had the right to take away the flag. If the kid wasn't hitting someone with the flag, what is the problem?

I agree that the Mexican flag should never be flown in the USA, but owning one isn't a problem.

I don't disagree with the student having the flag. I'm sure he is as proud of his heritage just as much as we Americans are proud of ours. If he just brought it as an observance of Cinco de Mayo then I see no problem with this unless he was waving it around in front of people. I think the teacher should have taken the flag from the student just like he did but,I don't feel he should have thrown it in the garbage as I'm sure he wouldn't want anyone throwing the US flag in the trash.

It was probably best he did take the flag away to avoid this student from getting beat down by American students which to me seems like what he took the flag for. Although I'm sure he was a bit pee'd as an American. I know I would be.

No flag from any other country should be flown in our nation period. If you are from another country and want to fly your flag do it at your own house and make sure you keep it under the US flag not above it. But, I would ask your American neighbors first if they feel offended if you do. For your own safety. There are a lot of people in our country that just wouldn't understand.If you keep it under our flag I wouldn't object.

I would like to see what would happen to an American citizen waving an American flag in Mexico.

Ok enough rambling. I'm too tired and feel I'm not making any sense

Wow, this is actually a newsworthy event? ridiculous.
Anything that can be considered a distraction in school can be taken up indefinitely or disposed of in my sons school district and a mexican flag in an area thats 90 percent or more anglo could potentially cause problems.
Theres nothing wrong with what was done, the kid shouldve left his flag at home. what point is he trying to make anyway?
Mexicans in this country, legal and illegal do cause problems in this country..
They dont want to come here and be productive Americans, they want to force their culture and beliefs on other citizens.
They are trying to take over Cali, literally and figuratively.
There are Mexican groups, orginizations and politicians that actually spout off nonsense about how Cali is still a part of mexico and are taking it back city by city.
I know that this has been said many times but its still the truth.. How many other countries would tolerate immigrants from another nation coming into their country and expecting that country to conform to their language, culture and ideas?
Like millions of Americans illegally entering France and then demanding that they be taken care of by the French Govt, start printing everything in English and French and allow the kids to bring US Flags to school and wave them in everyones face

I still want to know why these immigrants leave their poverty ridden country to try for a better life, yet they still want to show people how great their country is..
If its so great, why leave it?

What the hell is the kid doing taking a Messkin flag to school?
If the flag was made in China it needs to be trashed anyway.

BTW, only Hispanics can say Messkin.

I think bringing the flag to school was a mistake on the students part, he was old enough to realize it would probably cause him problems. Where the gym teacher erred was throwing it in the trash. He should have just turned it in to the office to be collected at the end of the day.

The gym teacher will probably lose his job over his mistake, which is unfortunate. In these politically charged times, discretion is probably the better part of valor.

It's great this student had pride in his ethnic heritage, but there are appropriate times and places to display it. I'm sure his community had plenty of celebrations going on where his flag could have been displayed without any adverse reactions.

I grew up in this area, and it sounds like your everyday racial tension between the mexican immigrant population and the conservative whites. The past twenty years have seen this area literally inundated with illegal immigrants, and there is definitely distrust and resentment that flow both ways.

Nobody's going to lose their job, get suspended, or anything of the sort, but I'd be surprised if there weren't some retaliatory tire slashings....

If you guys think this is crazy, it really is not that bad. This stuff goes on every day in New Mexico. There are definitley more mexican flags than American flags here. Almost every car has a Mexican flag in the window, nearly every house has a Mexican flag.

Maybe it's because it's in Idaho. There are definitley alot more immigrants in NM. This happens every day here.

[edit on 8-5-2008 by theendisnear69]

I'd probably have done the same thing if I were in Idaho.

According to Idaho's Bureau of Vital Statistics, this is the first 10-year-old to give birth in Idaho for at least 20 years.

Guadelupe Gutierrez-Juarez has been charged with raping the young girl. Gutierrez-Juarez has been in the Fremont County Jail since April 29. Source

Let him pick the flag out of trash if he wants it so badly.

[edit on 8-5-2008 by thisguyrighthere]

reply to post by thisguyrighthere
.
The kid with the flag didn't rape anyone. He is just a kid with a flag. That PE teacher needs to grow up

Kids in Mexico don't fly our flag in class, in fact it's not allowed.. The same in reverse is true here. This is the United States of America and if the student loves Mexico so much he wants to fly their flag, then he should pack up a move or have it thrown in the trash.

reply to post by wyldwylly and post by GrndLkNatv


This has to be a joke.

Otherwise, I'm going to fly a Mexican flag outside my house just for you.

[edit on 8-5-2008 by Johnmike]

The issue here is that the national flag represents the nation.

To fly the flag of a foreign nation in a public venue is to disrespect your country.

Here in the UK on Eid, youths fly the flag of Pakistan in the streets and shout anti-British slogans. Yet we Brits seem to be tolerating such behaviour. I shall never know the reason why.

To fly the flag of a foreign nation is nothing short of betrayal and treason. It shows disloyalty.

I speak as an immigrant myself- I am not some BNP or far right nutcase. Yet I would not dream of flying the flag of my home country here, out of respect for the British crown, people and country to whom I have sworn allegiance.

Sorry for rambling, it is hard to condense my views on this subject.

I take great solace in the fact that there are still countries which stand up for their flag and national character. Good on you Americans, good on you!

Won't be long before the Idaho Potato is known as Papa de Idaho.