Some people simply can’t let go of history…the Japanese can’t accept that they were the aggressors during WWII. The French can’t accept that their revolution wasn’t and some Southerners can’t accept the reality of the US Civil War.

In South Carolina, the family of a 15-year-old high school sophomore is suing officials with Latta High School because the young secessionist was wearing a shirt with the Confederate Battle Flag. Candice Hardwick said she wanted to wear her rebel clothing to honor one of her ancestors who fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War. Schools have long held that they have the right to ban certain clothing deemed to be disruptive. The family’s suit alleges violation of Candice’s First Amendment rights. So the question is does Candice have a right to wear her rebel attire in school?

Generally it is accepted that public schools can implement dress codes and/or ban certain apparel if it can be genuinely shown to be a disruption. The Supreme Court has found that students cannot be prevented from engaging in non-disruptive speech and simply because an article of clothing is deemed offensive does not necessarily imply it is also disruptive.

This is an excellent case study in the boundaries of free speech and a legitimate argument can be made in either direction, but one must ask the question why is Candice and her family so concerned about this rebel flag at the expense of her education? One doubts Candice’s family would go to such lengths to ensure that the 15 year old mastered calculus or clearly understood the complexities of economics or biology…no her family wastes its time of confederate battle wear, as if this will help her find gainful employment. Would anyone venture to guess Candice’s high school GPA? Chances are her parents won’t expend any resources to advance that cause…
Link to Charlotte Observer article