Flag v. freedom

Irony, anyone?

In South Carolina, a school teacher has taken a payoff to be quiet and go away after being fired for stomping on an American flag.

Scott Compton was making a point to his class when he he stomped on the flag last December: He had the freedom to do so. It’s not the flag, after all, it’s what it represents.

Then the school boss moved to fire him.

It’s a perfect test case for the state over the rights of teachers, but the local newspaper reports that Compton has been allowed to “resign,” getting $85,000 to do so.

In a statement through his lawyers, Compton said the act wasn’t mean to be disrespectful, but intended to show students that the nation is much more than its symbols.

The takeaway suggests just the opposite, however.