Is It Still There?

Thanks, Greeley Report readers for your continued news tips and insights. More below.

Greeley Report broke the story last week that Bauder Elementary in Ft. Collins was flying the Saudi Arabian flag with the U.S. flag in a subservient position.  Poudre Schools states this has been fixed, but refuses to provide photo verification.  Furthermore, they refuse to answer questions about how the flag got into this position despite their allegations in the Greeley Gazette article with Jack Minor (link here) that the flag was placed in this position before the school was opened to the public.  Which administrator or staff member made the U.S. flag bow?

One comment to a previous story alluded to the fact that the Saudi Flag ascribes the highest honor to Allah, the Islamic God.  This is both a national and a religious issue.  Also not shown in the photo is the sword on the Saudi flag.  How are these issues being handled?  How are the children in this multicultural school being taught about the national sovereignty of the United States and the daily pledge of allegiance to it's flag?

Other organizations are now getting wind of the photo and the lack of answers provided by Poudre Schools.  Is the flag still there?  We don't know, because they will not provide the evidence or the answers.

Comments

[namesrgone]

I watched the news and saw the pictures of where that American Flag was intended to fly. I can't believe how many people kicked it into 'outrage mode.' In the original picture, it was obvious that the American flag that was hung below the Saudi Flag was not intented to be there. The American Flag displayed had TWO ornamental ends as if it should have been hanging from the ceiling and fell off. To whomever picked it off the ground...thank you. To whomever snapped the picture...shame on you. Why didn't you just tell the priciple about it so that it could be fixed right away instead of taking the picture with the intent of getting people riled up? That's sneaky and dishonest.

[Dennis]

JJ,

You cannot support your claim with facts.

[JJ]

Staged. Pure and simple.

[Dennis]

I guess that comes with flying flags of other countries in our American tax-payer supported public schools.

Get over it!

America, LOVE IT, OR LEAVE IT!!!!!

[Brian Moon]

What is happening in this country when an obviously staged photo can incite such vitriol that people are (anonymously) calling for the principal of this school to be spat upon for "committing this horrendous act" without any further proof of his involvement? We don't need to fear multiculturalism as much as we need to fear the growing tendency for Americans to attack one another for some perceived lack of loyalty to our nation. Let's be a Unified Society!
God Bless America!

[namesrgone]

I still think it is a prank as does the principle.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20110907/NEWS01/109070332/Fort-Collins-school-principal-says-flag-controversy-based-misinformation-?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

[bah]

I'd like to see the proof that these flags weren't shifted just to snap the photo and make hay from it...

[Dennis]

Bucksmom,

I do believe that the American flag has now been restored to its position of honor. There are Americans in Fort Collins.

I was taught about other cultures under one flag.

Have you seen what "multi-culturism" has done to England?

This is America. Love it, or leave it!

To the ignorance that denies what is happening to our country,
Look around you. See the tumult? See the angst? See the Patriots awake from their media-induced slumber? join us.

2012

[SukieTawdry1]

Oh, get over yourself, Bucks Mom. What's a "multi-cultural" school anyhow? Is Bauder Elementary School a place where children are taught that no one culture is superior to another and all are worthy not only of respect but of equal respect? Are they taught further that there is nothing exceptional about western culture and certainly nothing exceptional about American culture? Is it your opinion that schools not flying the native flags of their attending students are guilty of teaching their children to HATE?

Are these kids from other countries here temporarily eventually returning to their native lands or are they here permanently? Because if they're here permanently, the school should be in the business of teaching them about our American culture and its values thus preparing them to assimilate with that culture. Because, although you and the majority of adults in your school district may not understand the distinction, while the United States is a nation of many cultures, it is most definitively not a multi-cultural nation.

And please spare us any future lectures on how unless we're Native Americans, we're all immigrants (two of my grandparents came through Ellis Island and the other two were descendents of the Scots-Irish who settled the southern colonies--so there). That's the standard and very tired ploy of relativists who want to peddle their multi-culti pap.

[Bucks Mom]

As a Bauder parent I can tell you that THIS IS NOT where the US flag is usually hung!! That being said I'm not sure who is responsible for this but the flag has been restored to its proper location. We also now have a resource officer on campus to make sure that it remains in its proper place. As for why we have the flags of other countries hung in our building, we are in our second year as a multi-cultural school. So what does that mean? It means that we live in an area of the community where lots of the international students from CSU reside, and rather than teaching our children to HATE we're teaching them to accept the diversity in our community. Remember that this great nation of ours exisits because of our acceptance of others, we are a nation of immigrants, My great-grandparents came to this country from Croatia, Hungary, and England. Some of those immigrants fought and died for those stars and stripes...Both of my grandfathers were WWII Vets, My great-grandmother was a 5 star mom...So let me ask you...Where do your roots lie? Unless you're a Native American your roots crossed and ocean to get here

[Greg]

Wow! Your comments have completely changed my mind on this issue. Thank you.

[Tantor]

Saudi Arabia is an enemy of the USA and everything it stands for. It was the Saudis who funded and facilitated the Sep 11 attacks. It is Saudi Wahhabi doctrine which animated those attacks. It is the Saudis who pay the Taliban their salaries to kill our troops.

Hanging the Saudi flag in America is an act of treason, an expression of contempt for democracy.

[Joe in Texas]

In fairness to the school, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt when they claim this wasn't done on purpose. Looking at the two flags, the US Flag's staff appears too short to be hung upright in the flag holder. That said, the Saudi flag's staff should have been shortened to fly it in the same manner as the US Flag. Furthermore, the US Flag is always displayed to the viewer's left (marching right - the position of honor). This tells me that regardless of what other flags they have been flying, they have been displaying the US flag in violation of the US Flag Code. A teachable moment nonetheless. Now, if this was done on purpose, they will have to answer to this Disabled Veteran Texan. Semper Fi.

[A Facebook User]

How do you know if the flag is still in the same position? Walk into the school and look. The school is public property. If they don't want to provide proof that they are not disrespecting America then go get the proof. While you're at it spit on the principal for either committing this horrendous act or for allowing it in the first place because that's exactly what he did to our troops, the brave first responders that died in the W.T.C. attacks, and each and every American.

[S/SGT BOB WEITZEL SR.]

THE PRINCIPAL OF BAUDER ELEMENTRY SCHOOL IS MORE THEN LIKELY A YOUNG LIBERAL PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATE, WHO KNOWS NOTHING OF WHAT THE FLAG MEANS. MAYBE IT WOULD BE NICE TO TEACH HIS STUDENTS ABOUT THE FLAG, AND HOW MANY AMERICANS GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THAT FLAG, AND COUNTRY. MR CAPENTER I GAVE 8 YEARS OF MY LIFE TO DEFEND THIS COUNTRY, I SERVED IN KOREA, AND VIETNAM,AND I WAS LUCKY TO COME HOME ALIVE, BUT I SAW DEATH ALL AROUND ME TO PROTECT THAT FLAG...SO BRIAN I WILL SAY TO YOU, LOVE IT, OR LEAVE IT!

[George]

Even if at the same height, the Stars and Stripes is supposed to be positioned on the observer's left (i.e., the marching right).

[B Burge]

Okay, I get it that the school administration claims they didn't have anything to do with placing the American flag below the Saudi flag. What I don't understand is why they would have even hung Saudi Arabian flag in the first place.