Confederate Flag Flies in the Face of Freedom

I am a native of Orange County and have been living in Los Angeles for the past four years. I was sickened with disgust upon reading “Apology Issued for Display of Rebel Flag” (Nov. 16), regarding Newport Harbor High School flying the Confederate flag during the halftime program at last week’s football game against Westchester High School. At a time when men and women of all races, colors and religions are fighting abroad to ensure that we will never again have to endure the horrors this country experienced on Sept. 11, the Newport band director choose to include a flag that is particularly offensive to many Americans.

The fact that this flag was flown (ironically, for the first time) during the halftime of a game where the opponent was a school with a large population of African Americans is highly suspicious, or dubious at least. The half-apology issued in the paper indicated that the band’s director, Rob Henthorn, used “poor judgment.” However, I believe that “poor judgment” is an understatement. The halftime incident was downright unpatriotic.

Mark D. Miller

Sherman Oaks

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It is a sad state of affairs when the Confederate battle flag cannot, because of protests, be displayed even in a strictly historical context. This political-correctness nonsense has gone off the deep end.

Lawrence Fafarman

Los Angeles