By Todd Starnes
Kids at Valley High School in Des Moines, Iowa are patriots — they love America. And they routinely show up at basketball games waving American flags and wearing red, white and blue.
But the other day – instead of getting kudos for demonstrating American pride – the kids were denounced as racists.
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School administrators issued a formal apology after students from an opposing team took offense at the pro-America clothing.
It turns out that Des Moines North High School has a large refugee population — and many of their students got upset when the kids from Valley High waved Old Glory.
Some called it blatant racism.
“This is an example of BLATANT racism,” one alum wrote on the school’s Facebook page. “ALL participating should have been pulled and banned from ALL VHS extracurricular events for the remainder of the year! As a parent, I’d be mortified that my son or daughter thought this way, acted in this fashion and refrained from taking a stand against this 21st century inexcusable behavior!”
For the record, there is absolutely no proof the kids were doing anything to stoke racial tension. As a matter of fact, students have a history of wearing patriotic clothing to sporting events. But facts really don’t matter these days.
Morgan Wheat, an assistant coach for Des Moines North, was among those deeply disturbed by the patriotic demonstration.
“Any normal person, any educated person can look at that and think what the hell are these kids thinking,” Coach Wheat told WHO-TV.com. “Kids are kids, I get it, but I do have questions. I want to know why.”
Well, I believe I might be able to help educate the coach.
We live in the United States of America, sir. Our flag is red, white and blue. Sometimes, we chant U-S-A. It’s because we take pride in our nation — the land of the free the home of the brave.
And anybody who has a problem with that — is free to take their basketball and dribble somewhere else.
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