This nation is supposed to be the land of the free and the home of the brave. We are all supposed to have the right to protest, hang an American flag, and express our views and patriotism in any way we please.
This, however, was not the case in a public school in Franklin County, Virginia. At a public school in Virginia, a group of students who had American flags hanging from the backs of their trucks were told that they were not allowed to wave the flags from their trucks. The principal said that this was against the rules and the students would face punishment if they continued to break the rules. Public schools are supposed to instill democratic values in all of their students. Students should feel like they have the right to express their beliefs and concerns at school, as long as they are not hurting any other group of students. This was not the case at this public school and the students were targeted for their right to stand up and support the country in which we all live.
The students, however, did not listen to what the principal had to say. Instead, they expressed their concerns to their friends and family. The friends and family were all on the side of the students and decided to help fight back against the school. They did not go out of their way to cause damage or disruption, but instead they acted on their right to be patriotic and have peaceful protests. Rather than just a few trucks with flags, there were numerous trucks that all decided to wave the flags from their trucks.
They hung up larger flags, played loud music and drove around the school to show off their patriotism. While the principal said that the flags were a disruption to learning, there was no actual evidence of this at all. The students were never told why their flags were a disruption to the school and therefore, they did not feel like they needed to stop waving them. It is unclear whether or not other students were offended by the actions of these few students. Regardless of who complained, the students had the right to wave the flag from their trucks or cars.
Their rights were fully justified and in the end the principal apologized and said that it was simply a misunderstanding. The principal was wrong for his actions and did not actually punish any of the students who waved the American flags or acted in the peaceful protests. This issue, while it never should have happened, did have a peaceful ending. All of the students were allowed to wave the flags and their patriotism in the end did pay off. Many Americans should learn a lesson from these high school students.
These students had beliefs about the world in which they live and they were willing to stand up for their rights. While they did need to protest to get things done, they did so in a peaceful manner. This just goes to show that peaceful protests are a wonderful thing that can actually improve the lives of everyone in the area. They are a great way to change the world, stand up for what you believe in, and express your rights to others.
