In 2019, Saugus High School in Los Angeles County found itself the victim of a school shooting that left two victims dead and several others injured. Thankfully, the local police rushed to the scene and saved many of the victims as they found the suspect with a self-inflicted gunshot wound that was fatal. Since the shooting, the Saugus community rallied together to rebuild their community and honor those lives lost. Knowing the importance of the local officers on that day, the Saugus football team carried an American flag with a single blue line in it before each game. Now, the school district superintendent Mike Kuhlman declared that the display of the pro-police flag is racist.
On Friday, the Saugus football team ran out onto the field without the flag for the first time since the shooting. The local NAACP organization criticized the flag, explaining it to be nothing more than “a tool utilized by those determined to stoke division, injustice, and exclusion.”
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Another local, Duncan Mandel, also found an issue with the flag as he wrote on Facebook, “There is absolutely no reason for this image to be carried out onto the field by players or used on cheer blocks. Get loud. What message are we sending to our kids if we sit back and allow this divisiveness to continue? Do something! This is simply not a First Amendment issue.”
Although there were a few that criticized the flag, on Friday night, as the lights beamed onto the field, the sea of fans waved the same flag that was banned from the field. Usually carried by Wyatt Hawk, his mother, Lexi, admitted the whole situation was ridiculous. “Saying that we’re disrespecting other people is ridiculous . . . Nobody discussed it. It was not a roundtable discussion, therefore, without a discussion, there is no democracy.”
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Jessica Suarez, who promoted herself as a supporter of police, added, “I think it’s especially symbolic for the Saugus Football seniors who were on campus in 2019 on the day of the (Saugus High School) shooting.’ She added that her husband works in law enforcement. They’re banning it because they’re calling it a symbol of the Blue Lives Matter Movement. It was co-opted by extremists who took the symbol and used it in a negative light… that’s not what this thin blue line means to us.”
Remembering the school shooting and how many of the kids are still going to that high school, retired police officer Todd Cataldi focused on how it affects the kids. “These kids went through a lot when they were freshmen with the school shooting, and there are several kids on the team whose parents work in law enforcement and are first responders and want to show their support for them.”
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This piece was written by Jeremy Porter on October 9, 2022. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.
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Why, are White/Asian/Hispanic CIVILIZED people, allowing the UNCIVILIZED Black Ghetto Race CARD Complainers, to dictate that this Flag will not be allowed? Is it because, the Black “Race”, can not stop committing MOST Crimes and POLICE arresting them? They should be EMBARASSED, but no.. eye dun no y dat ez butts eye no dat bez tru !