Atomic City Talk

Yesterday, Judge Varlan declared a mistrial in the free speech suit by a former Anderson County student against the school system. As a student at ACHS, he was repeatedly suspended for wearing items of clothing with the Confederate flag emblem.

As a direct descendant of Confederate soldiers, the student maintained that the flag was an issue of pride in his heritage. The school system argued that it was banned to prevent racial strife (not usually a problem at ACHS).

The jury came back hopelessly deadlocked. The plaintiff insists there will be a new trial.

This is a tough one.

With public schools starting to wear uniforms I wonder how this is even an issue.

What is tough about this? Schools have rules about appropriate clothing and the confederate flag is not appropriate clothing. Neither is wearing a nazi shirt, gang crap, or anything that is disruptive and interrupts the learning process. Seems pretty simple to me. I vote for uniforms.

Stonecipher likened this whole ordeal to the Clinton 12 event:

"In 1956, an outsider, John Kasper, came in and created a problem," Stonecipher said, referring to the racial unrest in Clinton that resulted in the 1958 bombing of Clinton High School. "Then, in 2006, it's an outsider coming in looking for a landmark case."

Doesn't sound too far fetched to me, especially in light of rumors that the KKK want to see Obama win so that their movement can be revived. But someone enlighten me. Exactly what rights are afforded to minors under the constitution? They certainly don’t have the right to bear arms, so what exactly gives minors the right to pursue constitutional protection WRT freedom of speech?

Many many moons ago I attended grade and high school. I wore uniforms and did not even have say so in my socks or shoes. It was great looking back. So, what's the beef here. Maybe the reason kids are the way they are today is because instead of their parents being in control, they are. As far as constitutional rights to be honest I am not sure but IMHO if you are not old enough to vote you are not old enough to have rights,

The article says that the former student " ... alleges that the school system's dress code policy is vague, overbroad and gives school officials too much discretionary authority to decide what clothing is acceptable." My guess is he was suspended not just for wearing a Confederate flag t-shirt and belt buckle, but for refusing to change clothes or cover the emblem.

If AC schools apply the dress code subjectively, he has a valid case. For instance, what if someone wore a t-shirt with the state flag of Mississippi (which bears the Confederate battle flag in the top-left corner)?

What if a student wore a pin for the Black Panther Party?

What if a group of students prominently displayed blue bandanas in their back-left pockets (like the Crips gang)?

Does the ACSB policy specifically forbid any of these modes of dress? If not, then the policy should be changes (perhaps even to a specified dress code).

Here's a question for you.....You all do know that Tennessee has a legal car license plate that displays the Confederate flag. I think the bottom of the tag reads "Sons of the Confederacy" or something like that (what... there are no daughters?) Anyway.... Does the ACSB dress code also include banning a student from driving his/her car into the parking lot if their car has one of those tags?

Doesn't sound like the plaintiffs are terribly interested in seeing policy change as much as they are in something else:

"Irion told reporters he prefers that an out-of-court settlement of the case be reached and that a proposal has been offered. "I hope we have a settlement; we are open to that," he said. "That is in the hands of the defendants.'"

I'm betting they didn't bother to fully pursue the matter through the proper channels to begin with; rather they opted to go straight for the jugular via a silly lawsuit.

I thought that flag represented a defeated enemy of the United States of America.

I find myself wondering if this student is even aware that even though Tennessee seceded from the Union, East Tennessee remained a strong Union sympathizer. Lincoln Memorial Univeristy was established to honor a request by Abraham Lincoln himself that East Tennessee be honored for its staunch loyalty to the Union during the Civil War.

Just wondering. It's fun to jump on the Rebel bandwagon, but we should remember that our heritage is actually one of Union sympathy.

So just what is it that this young man is comemorating?