At Gardiner Area High School, somebody covered a Pride flag with a Trump flag and an altercation between students erupted (“Result of argument over Pride, Trump flags? Gardiner school allows only American flag,” June 6). The principal’s solution was to say that in the future only the American flag would be permitted.
We think the principal lost a great educational opportunity for the students of his high school. He had a chance to organize a discussion involving students of opposing views, setting ground rules so the conversation would be civil, and having a true moderated debate with the student body present.
Students might then have been able to understand how it is possible to listen carefully to one another, to think about the differing opinions and to come to their own conclusions. Instead, it was left with unresolved anger and so our students will take sides based on who their friends are, what their families’ opinions are, and we fear that emotions will harden and further separate one classmate from another.
On another note, there are clear distinctions between the flags; one represented a politician (Trump) and the other, the rainbow flag, is the outward symbol of people in America who routinely experience discrimination. We believe it would be possible to write policy distinguishing what flags might be permitted rather than banning all flags except for the one. (So, for example, we assume the Maine State Flag would be banned under their new policy. Really?)
Sandy and Ole Jaeger
Georgetown
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