[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4854]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  AMERICAN FLAGS BANNED AT HIGH SCHOOL

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, students at Skyline High School in Colorado 
are banned from waving the American flag. The principal is reported as 
saying, ``These flags were being used as a symbol of bigotry, a symbol 
of hostility. They were being used to inflame different groups, and 
we're not going to tolerate that.''
  This principal is more concerned about hurting the feelings of people 
illegally in the U.S. than he is about Americans' freedom of 
expression. This principal is obviously unaware the flag was offensive 
to the British who were also illegally in the U.S. When the British 
reinvaded the United States in 1814 and were illegally on American 
soil, they marched on Washington waving the British flag, and they 
burned this very building. The British then sailed upriver to Fort 
McHenry and were offended by this defiant American flag that was 
flying. They tried to shoot it down, but Old Glory flew, and we have it 
down the street in the National Archives, bullet holes and all. We got 
our National Anthem from the glory of the Star Spangled Banner at Fort 
McHenry.
  The American flag cannot be banned in America. How absurd. What flag 
do you fly there at that high school, the white flag of surrender so as 
not to offend anyone illegally in the United States? Good thing the 
commander at Fort McHenry didn't care about what the British thought 
and was proud to be an American. And that's just the way it is.

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