On Tuesday, Franklin County High School students’ patriotic display of the American national flags went chaotic after an administrator allegedly told them to remove them from their vehicles.

According to their school principal, displaying the flag at the back of their trucks was against the rules and the students would face punishment if they continued to break the rules.

Despite being told that it was against the rules, the patriotic students did not listen to what the principal had to say. They had continued to express their concerns to their friends and family who also sided with them and helped them fight back against the school and went into peaceful protests.

Watch it here: Luis Romero/Youtube

Numerous trucks were used to wave their flags as part of their protest. They hung up larger flags, played loud music, and drove around the school to show off their patriotism. While the principal said that the flags were a disruption to learning, there was no actual evidence of this at all. The students were never told why their flags were a disruption to the school and therefore, they did not feel like they needed to stop waving them. It is unclear whether or not other students were offended by the actions of these few students. Regardless of who complained the students had the right to wave the flag from their trucks or cars.

The principal later apologized and said that it was simply a misunderstanding. The principal was wrong for his actions and did not actually punish any of the students who waved the American flags or acted in the peaceful protests.

This issue, while it never should have happened, did have a peaceful ending. All of the students were allowed to wave the flags and their patriotism, in the end, did pay off.

Many Americans should learn a lesson from these high school students.

This kind of patriotism is worth celebrating and these students show us that we should stand up for our rights. While they did need to protest to get things done, they did so in a peaceful manner. This just goes to show that peaceful protests are a wonderful thing that can actually improve the lives of everyone in the area. They are a great way to change the world, stand up for what you believe in, and express your rights to others.

Schools Superintendent Mark Church, who is white, said the ban is unnecessary because most students do not find the flag upsetting. In his eight years as superintendent, he said, the school has not witnessed a single fight related to Confederate gear, nor a single formal complaint about Confederate clothing.

“A little Rebel flag on a jacket?” Church said. “Our students don’t — they’re not outwardly bothered by it, it’s not a significant issue.”

Public schools are supposed to instill democratic values in all of their students. Students should feel like they have the right to express their beliefs and concerns at school, as long as they are not hurting any other group of students. This was not the case at this public school and the students were targeted for their right to stand up and support the country in which we all live.

Sources: Sharesplosion, Washington Post, BTW 21