smooth

seretogis,

Your analysis is flawed--re-read the article. The parents aren't contesting the right of the state to fly a flag on a public building. They are voicing their (majority) opinion against the (minority) opinion of a kid who requested the flag be flown at the building.

You seem to agree with my underlying point--either allow the parents to have complete control over where their children have to be educated (presuming they have to go to the facility) or allow their wishes to be met in regards to what they are subjected to once they attend a state mandated facility.

Also, this story doesn't affect anyone except possibly two people (evidently Mikey feels justified in dictating what people see or don't see on their local, public buildings because he pays roughly one penny of the taxes it takes to run the building) posting in this thread.

I was mainly commenting on the contradiction between conservative claims to restrain national government intrusion on local affairs and the hatred almost all of the posts were spouting towards a local, majority opinion demanding control over one local, public building.

I'm arguing that a local majority should have the right to decide what they want to do in regards to state/community public buildings. I'm not arguing, and neither are these parents, that states don't have the right to fly flags at tax funded buildings.

I can only assume you either missed part of the story or you are deliberately building a straw-man--the state already has a law that schools must fly flags on their premises. This building isn't considered a school by both the state of Oregon or the local community (despite the opinions of internet posters' from various states and countries) or it would have a flag already present. This wasn't even an issue until kid got it in his head that flying a flag on this building would be really patriotic. I can't remember if the story stated whether the kid even utilized the facility.

Now a few people are pissed because the rest of their community is saying "Hell no, we don't want your fucking jingoism in our faces"

and all the rest of the jingoistic idiots come screaming to the rescue..."get the fuck out of our country"

problem is, they disregard the very basic fact that this is their country, too. They don't have to leave. They can sit in beautiful Ashland and burn the flag, refuse to fly it, and do whatever else their nappy heads want to do with it because, not only is it their country, it's their community. Not one of them, to my knowledge, has stepped outside of Ashland and asked any of you to stop flying your banner in your town--yet this couresy isn't extended to these people (who pay a significant portion of the tax bill--far greater than one cent).

If majority rules, it should be allowed to be spoken. This has made clear that the majority rule is only legitimate when it agrees with your opinion--what a farce.

__________________
"The theory of a free press is that truth will emerge from free discussion, not that it will be presented perfectly and instantly in any one account." -- Walter Lippmann

"You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists." -- Abbie Hoffman