News broke April 17 that students at Bay City Western High School in Auburn were waving Confederate flags from vehicles parked near school grounds. Since then, the story has gone viral, with media outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post sharing the matter. As a result, readers from across Michigan and the U.S. have shared their thoughts. The following are some of those opinions.

Jacob Hamilton | MLive

Michael Seltz, of Bay City:

"I worked as a teacher and administrator in seven districts across three states. In every one of those I have no doubt that a Confederate flag on campus would've been immediately confiscated and student suspended. The American flag unites us. A Confederate flag is intended to divide. It is automatically disruptive to the educational process and any superintendent or principal should know that and act accordingly. I truly hope the student body comes together and acts because it appears their leadership is more interested in saving face. By doing so they have truly embarrassed themselves and made me question where I have moved to."

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Jacob Hamilton | MLive

Matthew Felan, president and CEO of Great Lakes Bay Regional Alliance:

"Let's be clear. Students have the Constitutional right to fly a Confederate Flag, an ISIS Flag, a Nazi Flag, to burn the U.S. Flag, or to kneel during the national anthem.

"But there are consequences for taking those actions! (Ask Colin Kaepernick)

"This is going to follow these students to every single job interview, background check, college application, and beyond for the rest of their lives.

"Is it really worth it?"

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Cameron Myers, a Western student, stands beside his truck. Jacob Hamilton | MLive

Sarah Pinkelman, of Ann Arbor:

Pinkelman sent a letter to Auburn Mayor Lee Kilbourn after MLive quoted Kilbourn giving his reactions to the displays. Kilbourn was quoted, in part, saying, the students were "doing their legal constitutional duty." He has since clarified that he meant to say the students were exercising their "rights" rather than their "duty."

Excerpts from Pinkelman's letter:

"The Confederate flag is very much the same as the Nazi flag to black Americans and to most white Americans. Can you imagine a street lined with trucks displaying Nazi flags? In fact, the Nazi flag in Germany is illegal.

"Therefore, I hope you will consider that the Confederate flag doesn't just stand for one side of a debate (Republican vs. Democrat). It stands for hate, for counting an entire people as not human. It's not about liberal vs. conservative. It's about selling people like animals, in fact a people treated worse than animals for hundreds of years. It's not about heritage--how can folks in Michigan even began to claim that?

"So, while I understand you cannot make them take the flag down, I disagree with your statement that you yourself cannot speak for or against the display of the flag. As a civil leader, you by all means have the right to condemn a symbol of degradation, hate, oppression, and cruelty. In fact, it is your duty to speak against something that is in all manner treasonous to our country and a symbol of rebellion against the stars and stripes, the flag that is supposed to unite us all.

"I can't imagine what the black students who go to that high school are enduring right now. I hope you see that it is your job as a public servant to protect them but also speak up for them. I'm sure as mayor you have sway in your community. Why not defend those who are facing this hate?"

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Jacob Hamilton | MLive

Laura Denney, of Fort Hood, Texas

Laura Denney also wrote a letter to Mayor Kilbourn. Excerpts of it are as follows:

"The Constitution does not protect those trotting out the rebel flag outside of Bay City Western High School . Yes, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, However... Discriminatory harassment speech that disrupts a persons education and feeling of safety is not protected.

"Freedom of expression has long been thought an essential freedom and the cornerstone of a free and democratic society. However, the Supreme Court has scaled back constitutional protections in certain situations. For instance, the Court has said students have a lesser expectation of certain constitutional guarantees when on school grounds.

"Along those same lines, the Court has held that schools may regulate student expression if the expression is part of a school-sponsored activity, if the expression is lewd or vulgar, or if the expression substantially disrupts school operations and invades the rights of others.

"...Sir, it is your CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY, Mr. Mayor, to protect the children being bullied and harassed, so get your hands out of your pockets, familiarize yourself with the law and do your damn job."

-Sincerely, an angry white person who is fed up with the way minorities are being treated in this country.

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Bay City Western needs to fire its history teacher:

"It's not about racism; it's a country boy thing," he said, adding he thinks the symbol has been present since the founding of the United States. https://t.co/Wly6erhODL — BBKayaker (@kayaker007) April 19, 2018

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My effort to deter racial intimidation at Bay City Western High School in MI. pic.twitter.com/ExJGyBLwlp — Mary Hall-Rayford 4 Eastpointe City Council 2019 (@educatormary) April 19, 2018

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So "proud" of my Alma-mater....disgusting, shameful, embarrassing. This was a teachable moment for me in my classrooms today. Very sad it was where I graduated from.



Confederate flag protesters met with opposition at Bay City Western High School https://t.co/RNWuYWM4n1 — GREAT SCOTT!!! (@MrScottaj) April 19, 2018

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It’s 2018, you get out of bed and see a news story about Western High School. You then realize it’s actually 1950. Life sucks. https://t.co/NVAWPAdXiY — Jared (@JaredKaufman3) April 18, 2018

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Two things I learned while living in the south that I didn’t understand before. Many of the people who fly the confederate flag don’t consider it a symbol of slavery & racism. But they still fly it knowing that to others it does represent slavery & racism. https://t.co/SkgiCTT6x0 — Andy Hendrickson™️ (@hendricksonandy) April 18, 2018

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If you're waving a Confederate battle flag in Michigan you're an idiot... and your ancestors would probably shoot you. Because guess what, Confederates were, and are, traitors to the USA. Full Stop. https://t.co/m2iml7n7us — Rick Tillery 🎥 (@ricktillery) April 18, 2018

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In Michigan, we ought to celebrate inclusiveness and diversity, not relics that represent divisiveness and hate. The Confederate battle flag is a painful symbol for many Americans, and it is wrong to display it in a way that seeks to intimidate and divide Americans. https://t.co/K5IPAL8Q8w — Rep. Dan Kildee (@RepDanKildee) April 20, 2018