Yes, we might possibly insult someone...

This is a translated article from dutch newspaper "De Telegraaf" :

January 20, 2005

'Dutch flag on schoolbag deemed provocative'

AMSTERDAM - Last week a pupil of the Cals College in IJsselstein had to immediately remove a dutch flag from his schoolbag. Schoolmanagement said they considered the flag to be a provocation of the pupils of Moroccan origine.

The father of 16 year-old Patrick Balk, the pupil who had to remove the flag, said that moroccan pupils have put pressure on the management of the school to remove the flag. According to him his son just wants to join the army. He often wears armyclothing and and a military bag with the flag. According to the father the boy does not have a violent nature.

I don't know about non-violent people who want to join the army, maybe for the good food and drink??? But it is still ridiculous that you cannot show a dutch flag anymore for fear of being 'provocative'. Sometimes I envy the U.S.A. Not often, sometimes...

UPDATE : Apparently the schoolteacher(s) only advised against wearing the dutch flag. They did not forbid it. So lets get this straight : they advise against wearing the Dutch National Symbol? Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice said.

ANOTHER UPDATE : As it turns out this flag-ban is not just the product of a deranged mind miles and miles away. One of the biggest schools in my hometown has had a similar but compulsary flag-ban in place for over a year now! Keep up the good work and the censorship "Groene Hart Lyceum"! Bravo...not.