Loading ...After students at York Comprehensive High School took pride in the country when a senior there was not allowed to fly flags from the back of his vehicle, Stallions,
Bearcats and Trojans joined the Cougars in special display of patriotism by showing up on campuses with American flags in the backs of their trucks.
More York County citizens over Memorial Day weekend joined the cause. Everywhere you look, there are pickup trucks proudly displaying the American flag.
A York administrator set off the controversy when he confronted senior Peyton Robinson after he arrived at school about the two flags on the back of his truck. He was displaying one 4×6 American flag and one 4×6 P.O.W.M.I.A flag in the back of his GMC pickup.
Robinson, 18, said in with an interview from Channel 3 News Station Wednesday afternoon, “I’m just proud to be an American citizen…I’ve had family members who’ve served.” He posted on Facebook that an administrator had told him to take down his flag because it was offending someone. He said in the post he was sorry if his flag offended someone, but continued, “It represents our freedom, and my pride to be an American, and the P.O.W.-M.I.A. flag stands for the soldiers who never made it home….”
Robinson said in the TV interview that when he did not remove his flags, an administrator went to his truck and took the bolts out of what was holding the flags in place in the back of his pickup.
“I was mad,” Robinson said to the reporter.
People all over the viewing area joined social media and text chats to discuss the drama that was unfolding in York County as it was being reported by Charlotte media and the Rock Hill Herald, as well as by York students themselves.
Robinson told reporters that all last year and this year, he has flown the flags on his truck without it ever becoming a problem.
Robinson admitted that he can, “see how a Confederate flag may offend some, but an American flag…that’s our country’s flag.”
York Comprehensive High School had ruled out that all physical flags would not be acceptable on campus as of Wednesday morning.
Another York student, junior Chance Dickson, said Thursday that he “doesn’t know what the big deal is. Every student and parent I’ve talked to says it wasn’t a problem.” Dickson also shared with us in a text message that Principal Christopher Black told him he was going to relook at the flag policy.
York students gathered at the BI-LO nearly two miles away from the school so they could all ride together with their flags waving high. More than 70 vehicles participated and supporters waved American flags on the side of Highway 5 as the high school students drove to school in their convoy.
“The cops were proud of what we did and so were the veterans that were on the side of the road this morning,” Dickson said in a text message.
Students from York High School met once again at the BI-LO. After their rally, they proceeded to drive their vehicles through York and into the city of Rock Hill
The show of support resulted in the York administration ruling that students may be allowed to fly flags from the back of their vehicles as long as it is not gang related as long as it is not full sized (larger than 4 X 6).
With the perseverance and patriotic love for his country, Robinson and his peers saved the individual rights for York Comprehensive High School students to keep waving their flags high.
According to the 1969 Supreme Court case Tinker vs. Des Moines Independent School District students do not leave their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate. Why in the world the York principal tried to go against that court precedent, we do not know. But he was wrong and we are glad he changed his mind.
We suggest everyone stay on track and keep the truck flags waving because Flag Day is coming up June 14. Keep the flags flying high all the way through Fourth of July, and beyond.
