DUMB ASSES: School P

[Greg B]

Nazi flag removed, apology issued

By Van Hilburn
The Paris News

Published September 30, 2003

Bad timing.

That?s what Paris High Blue Blazes Band Director Charles Grissom said of Friday?s controversial halftime performance at Hillcrest High School that left some residents in that Dallas community very upset.

A Nazi flag was waved as part of the performance honoring World War II veterans.

Because of the backlash, Grissom said only the American flag will be used in future shows.

Paris Independent School District Superintendent Paul Trull issued an apology to Dallas Independent School District Superintendent Mike Moses, who was at the game watching his son, Hillcrest starting center Mason Moses, play. Trull also apologized to anyone who may have been offended by the performance.

For the second consecutive week, the Blue Blazes Band performed ?Visions of World War II?, a seven-minute show honoring war veterans, complete with flags from all countries involved.

The Nazi flag was part of that show and when it was shown, fans at Hillcrest, an old Jewish community in the Dallas area, were outraged.

A disclaimer describing the show was read prior to the band performing, but that apparently wasn?t enough, according to Grissom.

?We had kids being cursed and things thrown at them. They were taken back,? Grissom said.

Even Paris High School coaches returning to the pressbox after halftime meetings were cursed.

What upset the Hillcrest fans was the fact that Paris High brought the swastika flag of Nazi Germany into their Franklin Stadium during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New?s Year?s Day and their day of remembrance.

?They didn?t understand that our intentions were quite honorable, that they were trying to do something nice. We never intended to cause this much confusion and distraught,? Grissom said.

A week earlier at Paris High?s homecoming game against Athens, the same show was performed, complete with two seven-second scenes in which the Nazi flag was prominently waved, this time by a black band member. Paris fans, however, applauded the show, which had to be performed after the game because halftime homecoming queen crowning ceremonies ran long.

The Nazi flag was shown for about seven seconds twice and was just one of the flags in the short performance. Others included flags from France, Japan, Great Britain and America.

?The show all along was intended to honor veterans of World War II. It was very patriotic in nature. Our intent was certainly honorable, but we made a mistake. We didn?t know that it was a Jewish holiday, and we didn?t intend on the negative reaction. It was just for historical purposes only and wasn?t created to offend anyone, only to honor the veterans of World War II.

?It wasn?t that we were condoning what happened during that war, but to be historically accurate, you have to include it,? Grissom said of his reasoning to include the Nazi flag.

The Paris band will also do the performance at the Oct. 15 University Interscholastic League contest, Grissom said.

?The program was a musical and symbolic interpretation that was intended to depict history. Unfortunately, a portion of this program was offensive to some members of the Hillcrest community. For this, we are deeply sorry and offer our most humble apology,? Trull said in a letter to Hillcrest principal Jonlyn Mitchell. ?We strive to be sensitive to the feelings of others and are always willing to amend our actions when we fall short. To the Hillcrest High School student body and community, please accept our deepest apology.?

DISD spokesman Donald Claxton responded to the apology.

?We?ve accepted an apology from the superintendent at Paris, and he also offered one to our principal at Dallas Hillcrest High,? he said. ?We know that they certainly weren?t trying to offend anyone.?

Mike Martin, athletic director and head football coach at Hillcrest, said he was surprised at the amount of publicity that the halftime show received.

?It?s been on the news, on the radio, on television. It?s been pretty much everywhere. I think it will slide and all will be fine because of the apologies. It was just kind of bad timing, especially with Friday being a Jewish holiday. It wasn?t thought out,? Martin said. ?(The performance) wasn?t malicious, and I think peopl