Girls will be girls or leave your purse at home

There is some very interesting news from the loony bin that is called Texas. For Christmas, two girls received pocket purses with the Confederate Battle Flag on them (the purses look something like this eBay listing). They took them to school and were told to give them over to the administration. They are upset. Since the row began, the children have brought the purses back to their school - this time with the word 'CENSORED' covering the Battle Flag. A flyer has also been issued, which hasn't made things in the school better. There are two views. The students are wrapping themselves up in the oft-used "southern heritage" excuse and are planning to sue the school using free speech to defend their actions.

Based on their prior experience with the Confederate Battle Flag, the school has banned the flag as being a hinderance to a peaceful school - not on free speech or dubious "southern heritage" claims. With this, I agree! (Bud Kennedy, a local columnist, has a great article on this thought.) Since this row has broken out, black students are now concerned. For years, I have said the the various Confederate flags, Nazi flags, and the communist/Soviet flags are just history - nothing more. We, as a society, need to realize the past is gone. Let's cherish were we have been and march on forward together as one society undivided by such symbols as the Confederate flags.

Can we do this?