Might as well ban the Constitution while you're at it

"Safety" has become an overused excuse for nervous educators and bureaucrats alike who'd rather overreact than confront a problem directly.

The latest example comes from Colorado, where the debate over illegal immigration has led a spineless middle school principal to ban any kind of patriotic clothing, including American flags and camouflage pants.

"We started seeing name calling," the principal said. "Safety is my first concern so I'm going to do things to keep us from getting to a point where anybody is hurt or being suspended for fighting."

What a great lesson for the students: if something makes you uncomfortable, ban it. I wonder if they study Benjamin Franklin at Adams Middle School? The principal definitely needs a refresher course:

Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

But the bureacrats would rather stifle speech than encourage debate. It's the new American way, at least in our public schools.