Students defend their heritage



Monday, November 27, 2006

To the editor: I commend freshman Bryce Archambo for deciding to file suit against
Farmington High School.

According to the Nov. 23 Southeast Missourian: "An assistant superintendent
told Archambo’s father his son was prohibited from wearing anything with a Confederate
flag ‘due to the alleged inherent racism that such insignia sends.’"

However, an Oct. 17 news report by KMOV-TV states: "Archambo’s father
insists the family is not racist. His oldest daughter is married to an African-American.
And he, a minister, performed the wedding ceremony." Which means that the
real discrimination was perpetrated by Farmington High School, not Bryce Archambo.

According to H.K. Edgerton, a black Confederate-flag activist from North Carolina:
"The Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbids national origin discrimination and
defines national origin as the place where your ancestors came from. You and
I fit every criterion to be considered Confederate Southern Americans under
federal law — and therefore entitled to the protection of the law as a people."

When I contacted Farmington superintendent W.L. Sander to inform him of this,
I was told that I didn’t know the "whole story." When I asked him
to tell me the whole story, he informed me that it would be a violation of federal
law.

Discriminating against students for celebrating their heritage is becoming
a national epidemic. Last year Nathan Warmack successfully defended his Scottish
heritage against the Jackson School District. Perhaps Bryce Archambo will be
successful as well, helping to stop this brand of discrimination.

CLINT E. LACY, Marble Hill, Mo.

© 2006 Southeast Missourian

On The Web:
http://www.semissourian.com/story/1178876.html