Should The Confederate Flag Be Banned In Schools

The Confederate flag is a controversial symbol with a long and complicated history. And after hundreds of years of fierce opposition and ardent support, one thing is clear: nothing is clear. Many consider the flag a symbol of heritage and history, but many others see it as a symbol of racism and supremacist values. While we believe that the Confederate flag is a symbol of oppression and racial superiority, the ambiguity surrounding the flag’s meaning is enough to necessitate a ban. No matter its original intention, there is no doubt that the flag has been used to symbolize some of the darkest ideologies in the history (and present) of the United States. The flag is widely regarded as a symbol of hatred by black students and, at the end of the

day, it is the duty of schools to protect them from it. If a member of a minority group feel attacked by a symbol, it is not the place of the majority to disagree. Rather, it is their duty to protect the minority, especially in the case of schools where minors are at issue.
One of the core issues of the banning of the Confederate flag in schools is that it can be seen as a restriction of the freedom of speech of students, but this concern is a simple issue of context vs.

content. A student cannot be stopped from displaying the flag in their own homes, but they can be reasonably limited in the context of a public school to protect other students from discrimination. In fact, they must be. If the flag can even be construed as a symbol of racist ideology, it should be banned in schools. Its racist message is not consistent with the ideology that schools represent and want to teach; moreover, it is the obligation of schools, both morally and legally, to protect minority students from anything that might hurt their well-being or distract from their educations. By allowing these flags in public places, government is allowing, if not endorsing, a deplorable and racist dogma, and forcing black students to face discrimination in an environment that should nurture and teach

them.
This country has always recognized the power imbalance that comes from majority rule, and the tyranny of the majority has always been battled in our laws and in the genetic code of our country.

The fourteenth amendment ensures this protection. The majority must not use its power to violate the rights of the minority, and the rights of black students must be protected, especially in schools where they are minors. Protecting minority students from a symbol of hatred that is used by the majority to abuse and intimidate them is entirely in keeping with the protection of the minority that is at the core of American politics. To force even a few black students to go to school where such a symbol of racism is present is a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. This provocative symbol will threaten the safety of African American and minority students, and students should not have the right to express their racist beliefs in an academic setting when the minority they are discriminating against is present and attempting to learn. Schools are responsible for ensuring the safety and education of all students, and if, in doing so, they must limit certain elements of the First Amendment, there is precedent for such a

limitation.
All of the Supreme Court cases surrounding schools and students’ rights have demonstrated one thing: that the power of the school reaches wide and typically trumps the free expression rights of the students. From Morse v Frederick to Tinker v Des Moines, schools have historically been given huge latitudes in what they are allowed to mitigate in regards to student life. The material disruption standard out of Tinker v. Des Moines is easily overcome. Violence in Charlottesville and South Carolina unequivocally illustrates that this contentious topic can lead not only to disruption, but to violence. Schools are here to protect and educate, and it is of the utmost importance that the safety and education of minority students is not obstructed or distracted with symbols of hatred. The historical precedent is clearly on the side of the schools. Not only that, but they clearly have the legal right. If dress codes which “protect” male students from distraction by girls’ bodies are legal, then confederate flag bans absolutely are as they protect minority students from a message of hatred.
Schools should ban the confederate flag because it is a deeply divisive historical symbol. It is a threat and a burden on minority students that is easily removed from a school environment. And even if the meaning is ambiguous, the very idea that it could be construed as threatening and offensive to black students makes a ban not only possible, but necessary. This isn’t a violation of free speech: it’s a limitation with substantial legal precedent, and reasonable cause. School is a place for education, where the safety and well-being of students should be guaranteed, and the Confederate flag is a hindrance that must be repudiated in order for that safe, educational environment to be maintained.