What drives racists even more apoplectic than wealthy black people protesting racial inequality in our country? Young black people who do not have any wealth and are in constant danger because of racial inequalities protesting racial inequality. The Shreveport Times has the bananas statement that Bossier Schools Superintendent Scott Smith sent out.
Freedom is not free. Each day the men and women at Barksdale Air Force Base and in other branches of the military in Bossier Parish and throughout the nation don a uniform and put their lives at risk as they proudly serve and protect us with honor. The least Bossier Schools can do is expect our student athletes to stand in solidarity when the National Anthem is played at sporting events in honor of those sacrifices.
In Bossier Parish, we believe when a student chooses to join and participate on a team, the players and coaches should stand when our National Anthem is played in a show of respect. This extends to those that elect to join a club or student organization, which requires a faculty sponsor. It is a choice for students to participate in extracurricular activities, not a right, and we at Bossier Schools feel strongly that our teams and organizations should stand in unity to honor our nation’s military and veterans.
This district directive was derived after seeking input from all Bossier Parish middle and high school principals in light of the national conversation currently taking place. Our principals and their coaching staffs have sole discretion in determining consequences should a student athlete elect not to stand during the National Anthem and they are making their expectations known to players and their families this week. As Superintendent, my administration will be in full support of these school-based decisions.
According to ThinkProgress, punishments could be corporal in nature, because you got to make sure that peaceful protests are met with violence, I guess?
At least one school official told the Shreveport Times that potential punishments could range from a one-game suspension to actual corporal punishment, forcing players to run extra laps if he or she chooses to kneel or otherwise protest during the national anthem.
On Thursday, journalist Shaun King tweeted a photo purportedly showing a letter written by the principal of Parkway High School, located in Bossier Parish. In it, principal Waylon Bates writes that “Parkway High School requires student athletes to stand in a respectful manner throughout the National Anthem during any sporting event in which their team is participating. Failure to comply will result in loss of playing time and/or participation as directed by the head coach and principal. Continued failure to comply will result in removal from the team.”
Yes, Louisiana has discretionary corporal punishment on their law books. No, it’s still a barbaric and racist and useless unproductive practice. Here’s a history lesson for Superintendent Scott Smith and the rest of his ignorant pencil pushers, on March 11, 1943, a case was argued in front of the United States Supreme Court—West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (No. 591). On June 14, 1943, a decision came down saying amongst other things:
1. State action against which the Fourteenth Amendment protects includes action by a state board of education. P. 637.
2. The action of a State in making it compulsory for children in the public schools to salute the flag and pledge allegiance -- by extending the right arm, palm upward, and declaring, "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands; one Nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all" -- violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments. P. 642.
So held as applied to children who were expelled for refusal to comply, and whose absence thereby became "unlawful," subjecting them and their parents or guardians to punishment.
3. That those who refused compliance did so on religious grounds does not control the decision of this question, and it is unnecessary to inquire into the sincerity of their views. P. 634.
4. Under the Federal Constitution, compulsion as here employed is not a permissible means of achieving "national unity."
Louisiana administrators trying to “teach students a lesson” have received an F on this latest test on the laws of our land. Then again, maybe Mr. Smith and his friends are receiving their history lessons from some guy at DonaldTrumpisYourLeader@VladP@Russia.com.