NASCAR Takes Liberties at Darlington - Trades Confederate For American Flags (repost)
FOXSPORTS.COM
Darlington Raceway will give out American flags to those who want to turn in a Confederate flag, continuing an initiative that began in Daytona soon after nine people were killed at a church in Charleston.
Track president Chip Wile says he hopes fans attending the Southern 500 on Sunday will ''join us in creating an inclusive atmosphere'' at NASCAR's oldest superspeedway.
Darlington Raceway owners, International Speedway Corp., began the flag exchange at the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway in July. Other ISC tracks have followed suit.
The Confederate flag has been flown by some fans at Darlington races for decades. The state of South Carolina removed the Confederate flag from Statehouse grounds in July.
Dylann Roof has been charged with murder in the Charleston church killings.
American flags have been banned from the campuses of a Tennessee school district out of fear they may offend some. Students who violate the ban will get kicked out of school, students told WHBQ-TV.
The Dickson County School District made the decision after a controversial debate over the Confederate flag and its removal from the property of the South Carolina Statehouse.
The American flag will continue to fly outside of the school district’s school buildings. It was first reported that students are prohibited from bringing the flag into the school themselves, according to TheBlaze.
“I just think that’s a right. It’s freedom of expression and I don’t think you should be able to take that away from us,” Arianna Heisler, a student, said. “If you want to fly a Confederate flag and if you want to fly a rainbow flag, fly a rainbow flag. Whatever you want.”
Officials at the school say they haven’t had any problems with the new policy yet.
Steve Sorrells, director of student services in Dickson County, said, “While this was not necessarily an attack on the American flag, there were some other issues we’re trying to address. It’s not an unpatriotic act by any means because we have a number of ways in which students do learn how to be patriotic and express American pride.”
Officials did not immediately respond to TheBlaze for further comment.
The school did not just ban the Confederate and American flags. All flags and banners were prohibited from school property if brought I by students, reported Fox News.
News sources reported the ban was on bringing the flag into the school, and students said that they were told they would have to leave for the day if they do so.The school clarified the policy in an email to Fox 13 Memphis, writing that the ban was only on “flags flying on the back of pick-up t
