FACT CHECK: Did Mark Wahlberg Call For Teachers To Be Fired?
The claim stems from a post shared on a satirical Facebook page. No reputable sources have reported on this claim.
Patriots show up to protest after Oklahoma school district forbids teen to fly American flag on truck
Members of a community in Oklahoma rallied behind a local teen whose high school has forbidden him from flying an American flag on the back of his pickup truck.
Caleb Horst just began his senior year at Edmond North High School in Edmond, Oklahoma, a city of nearly 100,000 residents about 15 miles north of Oklahoma City. Last Wednesday, he drove to school with a giant American flag attached to his truck, just as he has done "for quite a while," he said.
'It is the practice of Edmond Public Schools to not permit students to fly or bring flags of any kind on our school campuses.'
However, school administrators informed him that he could not continue to fly the flag on his truck and warned him not to show up with the flag on Monday.
Rather than heed the warning, Horst and dozens of his fellow American patriots, both students and members of the community, drove to the school's campus Monday morning and peacefully protested the ban on American flags affixed to vehicles.
According to the New York Post, more than 50 cars arrived at 7 a.m. that morning — some adorned in the red, white, and blue — to show their support for Horst and for public displays of patriotism more generally. They even recited the Pledge of Allegiance together.
"It’s our First Amendment, so it’s kind of hard for them to infringe upon our rights," Horst said.
"In the end, we’re all American, all united under that flag, and there’s not anything anyone can do to separate us."
Vance Miller, another senior at the high school, claimed the issue "hit home" for him because he has a brother in the service.
"He’s fighting for that flag; we should be allow[ed] to fly it," he said, according to KOCO. "It’d be different if we were trying to make a political statement, but there’s nothing political about it."
On Thursday, four days before the protest at the school, Edmond Public Schools issued a statement, insisting that "this is not about the American flag or patriotism" but about safety and "disruptions and distractions during the school day."
"It is the practice of Edmond Public Schools to not permit students to fly or bring flags of any kind on our school campuses. This practice has been in place for several years and is explained to our students at the start of the school year along with various other policies and procedures," the statement read in part.
The district also noted that it "proudly displays the American flag prominently" in classrooms and outside its buildings, that students recite the Pledge of Allegiance every school day, and that the national anthem is played before most sporting events.
But Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters and some state lawmakers indicated that the district's self-described "practice" of banning American flags on vehicles is unacceptable.
"We have seen parents across the state who are so tired of people, young people, being told to hate their country or not be proud of their country," Walters told 9 News.
Walters also stated in an X video that he is "working on guidelines" for school districts in his state to "ensure no student is ever targeted for having an American flag."
"We want our young people to be proud of our country. Sounds like a lot of patriotic students at the school, and we want to encourage them to show love for the country."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
RV retailer Camping World defies order by California officials to take down giant American flag
A major recreational vehicle retailer was ordered to take down a giant American flag. However, the RV retailer has defied the order mandated by officials in California.
Camping World RV Sales is located in French Camp, California — about 80 miles east of San Francisco. The RV retailer had flown a giant American flag above its dealership until April when county officials ordered it to be taken down over concerns over the flagpole.
The Camping World CEO declared that the American flag would stay up — no matter what the county says.
San Joaquin County officials told KTLX that there were concerns regarding the flag pole's foundation and the pole's proximity to property lines and Interstate 5, should the pole collapse.
“Camping World’s flagpole was installed with neither a building permit nor planning approval, therefore they are in conversation with the code enforcement division," the county said in a statement to the outlet.
On Monday, Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis ordered the dealership to restore the American flag to the top of the pole. Lemonis said Camping World's flagpole is installed securely and "rooted deeply in the ground."
Lemonis noted that there are "hundreds" of Camping World locations with giant American flags, and there are no issues.
"If we felt like we were putting people in danger or causing any issues with air traffic, which would absolutely not be okay, then I wouldn’t do it," Lemonis told KTLX.
"It's symbolism about how we feel about this country. We have a lot of veterans who work for us, and a lot of veterans who shop with us," Lemonis added.
He declared, "I happen to be an immigrant. I was given the blessing of being able to enter this country and become a citizen, and I'm grateful for it. It's been part of my life since I was a little child down in Miami, Florida, where we had the largest flag pole in Miami at our car dealership."
Lemonis conceded that he may have kept a flag down if it was used for marketing purposes while ironing out the permit issue with the county. The Camping World CEO declared that the American flag would stay up — no matter what the county says.
San Joaquin County officials said Camping World has applied for a building permit for the flagpole and the application is under review.
This is not the first time that Camping World has faced government scrutiny for flying a massive American flag.
In May 2019, the American flag was declared to be too large at the Camping World location in Statesville, North Carolina — roughly 40 miles north of Charlotte.
Camping World defied the order by Statesville officials to take down the flag. The business was fined $50 a day for the flag violation.
Lemonis told Fox Business at the time, "We have flown this flag for a long time. As I told the city ... it’s not coming down under any circumstance."
Attorneys for Lemonis declared in a filing that the huge American flag "represents the fundamental values — freedom, courage, and equality before the law — that unite all Americans and transcend party politics. ... In keeping with this tradition, The U.S. Supreme Court has long recognized that the act of flying the flag is a form of political expression protected by the First Amendment."
Attorneys for Statesville cited a North Carolina state law that declares there can be size restrictions on flags "for the purpose of protecting the public health, safety, and welfare."
In a settlement with the city, Camping World was allowed to keep the American flag up, but had to pay more than $14,000 in fines for originally breaking the town's ordinance, plus pay an additional $2,000 in legal costs.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Pro-Palestinian hooligans vandalize Union Station at anti-Israel protest, Republicans restore American flags: 'It's outrageous'
Pro-Palestinian hooligans vandalized statues, monuments, and a fountain outside of Union Station in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday during anti-Israel protests. The demonstrators also took down American flags, burned them, and replaced them with Palestinian ones. However, Republicans restored the American flags.
On Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered an address before Congress.
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters converged on Union Station to demonstrate against Netanyahu and Israel's military response to the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, 2023.
As Blaze News previously reported, the protests escalated and anti-Israel demonstrators became unruly. The protesters accosted and even got into physical confrontations with police. U.S. Capitol Police officers deployed pepper spray after some protesters became "violent" and "failed to obey" orders by law enforcement.
Nine people were reportedly arrested across D.C., including four people on charges of assaulting a police officer outside Union Station.
Vandals defaced the Columbus Memorial Fountain, the Freedom Bell, and other monuments. The activists graffitied messages on the monuments with threats such as "Hamas is coming."
American flags flying outside of Union Station were removed by anti-Israel activists, and activists hoisted Palestinian ones in their place. The activists then burned the American flags.
'You tear down our flag, and I will put it back up every single time!'
A group of House Republicans — led by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and Rep. Brandon Williams of New York — descended on Union Station late Wednesday night to restore the American flags that were taken down.
"We recognize that they flew Palestinian flags on these polls. It is outrageous. They were pulled down, thankfully," Johnson said.
He continued, "American flags are once again flying over Union Station. We will not let the terrorist mob win."
Congressman Williams added, "Anti-American agitators will not have the last say. We will continue to stand for this great country, no matter what. You tear down our flag, and I will put it back up every single time! God Bless America."
Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden from Wisconsin said, "We came down here to Union Station and re-flew these flags because Americans will not bend. We will not bow. We will not be afraid, and we will not be cowered by these terrorist sympathizers. We will stand strong with the American flag, the American people, and our closest ally in the Middle East, Israel."
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) wrote on the X social media platform, "We raised the flags back up. Earlier today, terrorist sympathizers tore down the American flags at Union Station, burned them, and raised the Palestinian flag in its place. After votes tonight, a group of members, including many veterans and the speaker of the house, took our flag back and raised it. Took a while to get it done because the Hamas supporters broke the connections, but D.C. police helped us out and got us zip ties."
After raising the three American flags, the Republicans and law enforcement officers said the Pledge of Allegiance.
GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas announced on Wednesday that a bill had been introduced by Republican lawmakers to "deport any foreigner involved in violence and vandalism on federal property."
"The actions of the pro-Hamas lunatics at Union Station in DC are shameful, and anyone on a visa who took part should have it revoked immediately," Cotton declared.
On Thursday morning, National Park Service crews worked to repair and clean the graffiti off the monuments in Union Station.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Don’t Mistake Democrats’ War On America’s Heritage As Just A Clash Over A Pine Tree Flag
The controversy surrounding historical symbols such as the 'Appeal to Heaven' flag reflects a deeper conflict over the very soul of the nation.Can Frat Bros Can Save The Republic?
After weeks of appalling demonstrations by college students, the character displayed by these young men should give us a glimmer of hope.Fraternity brothers protected the American flag when protesters tried tearing it down — now donations are pouring in
Thousands of generous Americans are donating to North Carolina fraternity brothers for defending the American flag.
On Tuesday, anti-Israel protesters at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill took down the American flag that prominently flies on the university's Quad and replaced it with a Palestinian flag. Interim chancellor Lee Roberts later personally restored the American flag, but protesters repeatedly targeted the flag before police officers installed a barrier around the flagpole.
At one point, fraternity brothers were photographed and videoed holding Old Glory to ensure it never touched the ground.
— (@)
The incident went viral and someone eventually started a GoFundMe campaign to "throw 'em a rager." The GoFundMe identified brothers from Pi Kappa Phi, Alpha Epsilon Pi, and Pi Kappa Psi as those who helped defend the flag.
"Commie losers across the country have invaded college campuses to make dumb demands of weak University Administrators," the GoFundMe says. "But amidst the chaos, the screaming, the anti-semitism, the hatred of faith and flag, stood a platoon of American heroes. Armored in Vineyard Vines and Patagonia, fueled by Zyn and White Claws, these triumphant Brohemians protected Old Glory from the unwashed Marxist horde — laughing at their shrieks and wails and shielding the Stars & Stripes from Soviet missiles."
As of Thursday morning, the campaign has raised nearly $400,000, and donations continue to pour in.
Whether all of that money will go toward a massive party remains to be seen. But a representative for GoFundMe confirmed to Blaze News that GoFundMe is communicating with the campaign organizer to ensure the donations reach the appropriate destination.
— (@)
The campaign organizer, meanwhile, provided an update on Wednesday saying he has hired someone who previously worked in the White House to organize the fraternity celebration.
One of the fraternity members who helped protect Old Glory, student Brendan Rosenblum, said he and his brothers refused to let the protesters desecrate the flag.
"These people wanted to tear down the flag, and we were there to protect it," Rosenblum told NewsNation. "Me and my friends did not allow that to happen."
"All of us felt that America, and the American flag — and for me, the Israeli flag — represent what we believe in," he explained. "And we weren’t going to let anyone stop us from keeping those two things up."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
'I'm so sick of seeing foreign flags in America': UFC's Sean Strickland asks those without US loyalty to 'just go back'
Recent UFC champion and perennial wildcard Sean Strickland stated that he's sick of seeing foreign flags flying in America, asking those who do so to "just go back."
The former middleweight champion has made headlines for the better part of a year due to his controversial comments, which have even included calling out video game companies and Navy SEALs.
Strickland has recently taken a stand against foreign flags being flown in the United States:
"I'm so sick of seeing foreign flags in America.. I don't get it," Strickland wrote on X. "You left your corrupt country to come to the USA and yet you still rep what you fled? The worst is Hispanics born in America flying a Mexican flag.. Where is your loyalty.. Just go back.. Enjoy your foreign flag," he added.
I'm so sick of seeing foreign flags in America..\n\nI don't get it. You left your corrupt country to come to the USA and yet you still rep what you fled? \n\nThe worst is Hispanics born in America flying a Mexican flag.. Where is your loyalty.. Just go back.. Enjoy your foreign flag— (@)
Strickland also replied to comments asking him about specific flags.
"You mean stuff like that?" a user wrote with an attached image of Congress waving miniature Ukraine flags.
"Exactly like this," Strickland said.
@raymo_g Exactly like this— (@)
"Like this?" another fan asked, along with photos of Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. holding Israeli flags.
"Yep," Strickland replied.
@StopZionistHate Yep— (@)
Parsing through Strickland's messaging, it is often the case in mixed martial arts that fighters will fly flags related to their ethnic background or birthplace as opposed to the country of their permanent residence.
While there are few controversial topics Strickland hasn't spoken at length about, he has made many comments about both Israel and Ukraine.
"105 billion to Israel and Ukraine.... Yall its time for the revolution......Its time... America can't be fixed at this point," he said in October 2023.
In February 2024, Strickland responded to claims that he hates the countries that the U.S. government provides aid for.
"'You hate Palestine' 'you hate jews' 'you hate Ukraine' I am an American. I hate every year my dollar [is] less and you all have to work harder and longer for less because these c***s spend your money on other countries," Strickland wrote before escalating his tone. "YOUR SIDE IS AMERICA F*** THESE POLITICIANS. TRAITORS!"
"you hate Palestine" \n"you hate jews"\n "you hate Ukraine"\n\nI am an American.I hate every year my dollar less and you all have to work harder and longer for less because these cunts spend your money on other countries\n\nYOUR SIDE IS AMERICA FUCK THESE POLITICIANS. TRAITORS!— (@)
Strickland is also consistently asked by readers why he doesn't mention specific countries when he calls for the end of U.S. funding to other nations. The fighter has addressed this on multiple occasions.
Shortly after the Palestinian attack on Israel, when the fighter declared that he didn't care about other countries, he was criticized for not outright declaring support for a "free Palestine."
"You're right... Free Palestine!! Did it work? Are they free yet??" Strickland asked an X user.
"What I'm saying it doesn't matter what you post, what you say.... This only ends one way..... but yeah sure free Palestine lol.... Palestine doesn't win this.... sorry."
You're right... Free Palestine!!\n\nDid it work? Are they free yet??\n\nLmao you see what I'm saying it doesn't matter what you post, what you say.... This only ends one way..... but yeah sure free Palestine lol.... Palestine doesn't win this.... sorry.— (@)
Sean Strickland is scheduled to fight Brazilian Paulo Costa at UFC 302 on June 1, 2024.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Today's top stories
www.theblaze.com