Students and families in Santa Clarita, California are furious after the Saugus High School football team was ordered to stop using the ‘Thin Blue Line’ flag during pregame festivities.
“I believe this is a slap in the face of those who came running towards danger at Saugus High School,” said school board president Joe Messina.
PROTECT YOUR GOD-GIVEN FREEDOMS! CLICK HERE TO JOIN TODD IN SUPPORTING ALLIANCE DEFENDING FREEDOM.
Santa Clarita is home to thousands of law enforcement officers and their families and news of the ban did not go over well in the community.
Critics Say ‘Thin Blue Line’ Flag is Racist
“For some people to say the flag is divisive shows their ignorance. These are the heroes that come running in when others run away,” said one parent. “When you call 911 who is going to come and help you?”
Supt. Mike Kuhlman said the decision to stop players from entering the stadium with the flag was made because some in the area were offended.
“Given that some individuals have expressed concern that they interpret the Thin Blue Line flag to be divisive, it occurred to him that it’s possible that some players on the team might not be entirely enthusiastic about a symbol that is being used to represent the entire team,” Kuhlman wrote in a letter to the community and obtained by Todd Starnes Show radio affiliate KHTS. “In deference to his commitment to inclusivity, kindness and respect just loving people, and because the team never voted as a unit to carry this banner, Coach decided to discontinue this practice.”
Slap in the Face to Cops
Messina, who is also a conservative talk radio host, bristled at accusations the flag was a representation of white supremacy.
“Do you really believe the players did this as a disrespect for BLM or any other group? Do you really believe these kids think they are want to be white supremacists? Do you think they were making a political statement,” Messina said. “Honoring people who lay down their lives for you is not a political statement.”
Students Say They Wanted to Honor Police
A number of parents said the superintendent’s decision was an offense to students whose parents are in law enforcement. In 2019, five students were shot and two were killed when a gunman opened fire.
“The first responder was a parent who dropped off a kid and he literally saved some lives,” one parent told television station KTTV. “The fact that the school is not honoring that – that is mind-blowing and disgusting.”
“All the players I talked to are just disappointed. They wanted to honor people that risked their lives in order to protect them. The last thing they were trying to do was be offensive in any way and they don’t feel that running out with the flag is offensive to any body,” school supporter Troy Yudin told the television station.
This is the sort of left-wing indoctrination I wrote about in my book, “Culture Jihad: How to Stop the Left From Killing a Nation.” Click here to get a copy.