Cody Alicea and His American Flag

UPDATE, November 15, 2010: Cody Alicea Gets Special Flag Escort to School


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What could possibly be wrong with a 13-year-old American boy attending an American public school having a small American flag displayed on the back of his bike?

Unfortunately, a lot if that boy happens to attend Denair Middle School in California.

Video.



School officials responded on Friday to the situation involving proud American Cody and his American flag.

Video, from KXTL-TV.

 

Ed Parraz, the Superintendent of the Denair School District told us a school supervisor asked Cody to take down the flag. The supervisor will not be fired or face repercussions. Parraz says the supervisor had information that Cody Alicea's safety was at risk because of the flag. Some students had complained about it and had apparently made threats.

Parraz says they have decided to focus on those students who are causing the problem, not the flag. Cody is now allowed to ride onto school campus with Old Glory on the back. Parraz is aware of the outcry across the nation over this story. He says they embrace the American flag, they are patriotic, but that their main priority is keeping students safe.

Of course, the nation was outraged that a boy would be bullied into removing an AMERICAN flag because the school had concerns about "racial tensions."

It's absurd that students being educated in an American public school should have the power to force a boy to remove an American flag from his bike. If there are thugs at Denair Middle School, and there apparently are, officials should deal with the thugs.

If the thugs don't like the sight of the American flag then they should get the hell out of the American school system. Why should American tax dollars be used to educate them?

A newly-elected Congressman from California has offered to fly Cody to Washington, D.C.

Congressman-Elect, and current State Senator Jeff Denham from Merced blasted officials at Denair Middle School for their decision to have Cody remove the flag because, according to officials, it might cause tension on campus.

Denair Middle School has since come out and said they regret the move and will allow Cody to have his flag on his bike.

Denham was just elected to Congress, and is offering to fly Cody to Washington to attend his swearing-in on January 5th.

What a great opportunity for a patriotic kid!

Jeff Denham is a Republican.

Here's more, from KCRA:

A teenage boy is proudly flying an American flag on his bike again after a flap from his school.

Cody Alicea, 13, said he put a flag there as a show of support for the veterans in his family.

But officials at Denair Middle School told him he couldn't fly it. He said he was told some students had complained.

Alicea said since the controversy, people have been honking and waving at him as he goes down the street.

However, the school said it changed its view, and now Alicea can fly his flag.

Denair Unified School District Superintendent Superintendent Edward Parraz said he got calls from halfway around the world about the flag; even some soldiers in Afghanistan called to complain.

The story has gained national attention, from Rush Limbaugh to the Drudge Report.

A group of Stanislaus County mothers said they plan on walking their children to school with flags in hand to show their support.

State Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Merced, said in a written statement Friday that the school's original decision was "anti-veteran."

"Many American men and women have given their lives to defend our right to fly the flag -- Cody should have that right, too," Denham, who was just elected to Congress, said in a written statement.

The solidarity shown in the past couple of days for Cody is wonderful.

We're seeing the best of America as a result of Denair Middle School's original disgraceful decision.

I understand the alleged concern for Cody's safety. That's a good thing. But it was wrong for the school to give in to the demands of the "hate America" thugs and appease them by making Cody take down his flag.

It was the easy thing to do, not the right thing to do.

The students threatening Cody should be punished, not the patriotic kid displaying the American flag, a boy proud of his grandfather's military service and proud of his country.

Obviously, the Denair Unified School District now regrets how Cody was treated, because of the avalanche of complaints. Thanks to the New Media, Americans all over the planet learned of the story and they came to Cody's defense.

I bet when Cody first put the American flag on his bike he never imagined that his simple act of patriotism would serve to unite Americans throughout the country and around the world.