So here's a story that is a lot more complex than a simple case of he-said, she-said. A 13-year-old boy served a one-day in-school suspension after he reportedly used an American flag to wipe his hands after leaving the bathroom. On top of this, Moses Hinton is the only African-American student in the Virginia Beach Plaza Middle School's gifted program; his parents are saying that he was unfairly punished because of it ... although the principal at the school is black.
There's definitely a lot going on here. When confronted about it, Moses allegedly told the teacher there were no paper towels left in the bathroom, but according to the boy’s mother, "His response was 'mommy I was coming up the stairs and I lost my balance and I touched the flag.'"
Oh boy. No matter, it seems that Hinton did touch the flag. But I do feel like a one-day suspension was extreme in this case.
Of course, if Moses did wipe his hands on the flag, he should have been punished ... it's a symbol that must always be respected. My dad is a veteran and my brother went to the Air Force Academy; I know all the rules when it comes to the flag and I don't mess around with them. People who intentionally deface the flag should be held accountable, no doubt about it.
But the flag in the auditorium wasn't damaged or broken or stained beyond repair. It was a careless mistake; it wasn't as if the boy actually had the intention to take the flag off the pole and stomp around on it. Perhaps he could have gotten a warning or detention or written an essay about the flag instead -- a suspension will be on his record, and it's too harsh a punishment.
Still, I don't believe that Hinton's race had anything to do with suspending him, though his parents say otherwise. "Why react so harshly?" said the Hintons' attorney. "You have a bright, gifted, young black male; it seems to be an attempt to pour ice water on his motivation."
Would the punishment have been less severe had a white student wiped his hands on the flag? It's an impossible question to answer -- I just hope that Moses will be able to move on from this incident and continue to succeed in his gifted program, politics and patriotism aside.
Here's more on this story:
Do you think a one-day suspension was too harsh a punishment?
Image via Just some dust/Flickr
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Comments 54
he deserves it little brat who the hell raised him to act like that its our nations symbol i would suspended his ass and make him community service for veterans! god kids have no respect!!!!!!!
Ugh, I'm so sick of people playing the race card to make themselves the victim everytime. And it's rarely white people..... That's all I'm gonna say.
Jai, let's take out "American Flag" for a moment, and replace it with "curtains". He still would have been absolutely wrong and disrespectful in what he did. You do not go to the bathroom, wash your hands, and, in the absence of paper towels, wipe your hands on the curtains!! You have respect for the property of others.
Curtains, flag, doesn't matter. Use your jeans, or let your hands air-dry. Or sit in ISS for a day. Heaven forbid kids experience consequences for their actions.
Oh gimme a break. Why is it anytime a black kid is involved in any incident the race card gets played? It has nothing to do with the color of his skin. He disrespected the flag and then lied about it.