ANOTHER STINKO DE MAYO - TAKE YOUR MEXICAN FLAGS SOUTH OF THE BORDER

Here we go again. Another Stinko De Mayo. Mexicans living in the United States, including U.S. citizens, "guest workers" and illegal aliens, are celebrating Mexico's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. There will be parades, demonstrations, picnics and other activities where the flag of Mexico will be on prominent public display. To that I say: "This is the United States of America. If you want to celebrate a Mexican national holiday, take your parades AND ESPECIALLY YOUR MEXICAN FLAGS south of the border. Do not disrespect our country by flaunting a foreign flag in our faces."

Don't get me wrong. I am not against immigration. I happen to be an immigrant myself. But, I am proud to be an American. I do not have a flag of the country where I came from. Nor do I have a flag of Israel, the Jewish homeland. I have a lighted flagpole in front of my house and it flies the American flag 24/7. I don't have a problem with Mexican nationals having a Mexican flag inside their homes so long as they do not display it in public. And, I see nothing wrong when Mexican nationals celebrate one of Mexico's national holidays so long as they do so in the privacy of their homes or in a rented meeting hall.

Here are the only appropriate public places to display the flag of Mexico in this country: In front of a Mexican consulate; in front of the Mexican embassy; at an official ceremony welcoming a Mexican dignitary; at a sporting event, like a boxing match or automobile race, to show support for a participant from Mexico.

Likewise, here are the only appropiate places to fly the flag of the United States in a foreign country: In front of a U.S. consulate; in front of the U.S. embassy; on an American military base in that country; at a sporting event when one of the participants is from the U.S.. Americans living in Mexico, or any other foreign country, should not fly the Stars and Stripes in public.

What is this country coming to when Mexican students at Montebello (California) High School lower the American flag from the school's flagpole, turn it upside down and haul it back up beneath the flag of Mexico. Pictures (below) show the students celebrating with the Mexican flag flying on top of an upside down American flag. Do these outrageous pictures infuriate you? If not, don't call yourself a proud American!

What is going on here? Now some colleges are flying the Flag of Mexico alongside the American flag. It seems as though we are surrendering parts of the United States to Mexico. When are our public school authorities and our college administrators going to stand up for America? Has this country lost its self-respect? If any flags are going to be burned, it should be Mexican flags, not American flags!

Foreign flag displays, like the one in Montebello, would never be tolerated in other countries, including those with rights of free speech. This country's citizens ought to express their pride in America by organizing NON-VIOLENT counter-demonstrations anytime it is likely that a group is going to flaunt a foreign flag in our faces.

We should tell those Cinco De Mayo celebrators to TAKE YOUR MEXICAN FLAGS SOUTH OF THE BORDER! The flag that should be waved during public celebrations or demonstrations is the American flag, the banner under which hundreds of thousands of heroic soldiers, sailors and marines have given their lives in the service of our country.