It is the night of September 13, 1814.  The British fleet are bombarding Fort McHenry in the harbor at Baltimore, Maryland. Francis Scott Key, a 34-year old lawyer-poet, is watching the attack from the deck of a British prisoner-exchange ship. Key had gone seeking the release of a friend. They were told that they had to remain aboard the vessel until the end of the attack. When the battle was over, the following morning, Key had his telescope on the fort and saw the American flag was still waving. The sight of the tattered Stars and Stripes was so moving that he pulled a letter from his pocket and began to write the poem. This poem eventually became the national anthem of the United States – “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn’s early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro’ the perilous fight’
O’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Wednesday, May 5, 2010 – On a day celebrating a manufactured Mexican Holiday, designed to increase revenue for beer distilleries and Mexican Restaurants, administrators at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, California send five students home after they refuse to remove their American flag T-shirts and bandannas — garments the school officials deemed “incendiary” on the artificial observance called Cinco de Mayo.

The Assistant Principal, Miguel Rodriguez, asked two of them to remove their American flag bandannas.  The boys did as they were told and were then asked to accompany Rodriguez to the principal’s office.

The five students:  Daniel Galli, Austin Carvalho, Matt Dariano, Dominic Maciel and Clayton Howard, were then told to turn their T-shirts inside-out or be sent home, but, it would not be considered a suspension. Rodriguez told them he did not want any fights to break out between Mexican-American students celebrating their heritage and those wearing American flags.

Dariano’s mother, Diana, told FoxNews.com she and parents of the other four students want an apology from officials and are thinking about filing a lawsuit.

We want an apology, Diana Dariano said Thursday. Who in the United States of America would have an issue with that? It’s a sad, sad day.

Who, indeed. 

More than 200 Hispanic students reportedly skipped class on Thursday and marched to school district headquarters while chanting “we want respect” and “si se puede” — “yes we can,” the Morgan Hill Times reported.  You may have seen the video of these brave young people berating and antagonizing a man in a motorized wheelchair.

The noble nature of their protest is underwhelming.

Morgan Hill Police Department Commander Joe Sampson said two officers were stationed at Live Oak High School school midday Friday to give a “visual presence” in order to thwart any potential acts of violence.

Assistant Principal Rodriguez has apologized for telling the young Americans that they couldn’t wear U.S. flag shirts on Cinco de Mayo, the local superintendent said Friday. 

Superintendent Wesley Smith described freedom of expression as “a sacred American value” and said the lesson learned is that it should be celebrated “thoughtfully and fairly.”

I repeat:  OUR country’s flag is offensive?

 Smith said, noting the national media attention on the school:

It is unfortunate that some people want to leverage their personal agendas off of this incident.

Translation:  We got caught being stupid Liberals who care more about another country than we do our own.

Most of the kids on our campus have said, ‘Enough is enough.’ they want to get back to normal.

Translation:   Move along, nothing to see here.  Please, move along.

Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?  

Yes, it  does, Mr. Key, sir.  But, just like that fateful night so long ago, it is under attack.  Only this time, it is under attack from enemies foreign and domestic.

Sources:  usembassy.de, usflag.org, foxnews.com