Talk:Balboa High School (Panama)

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R ob2303 (talk) 04:27, 11 December 2007 (UTC)This article obviously isn't neutral,it practically says that "WE", the panamanian people, in that ocasion in 1964, were making something ILLEGAL, or something like that, It was and is "OUR" land, our country, i wonder, how can you feel if there were a colony, in the middle of your country?... think on that please. And other thing, the panamanians in that day of 1964, weren't making any violence, if anyone have doubts about this PLEASE READ A BOOK, IT WILL NOT GOING TO EAT YOU!, the Panama Canal Zone Police, in that MEMORABLE DAY, attacked that pacific movement, with, tanks, bombs, and grenades, killing innocent people... and they only wanted to see their country's flag, in... THEIR COUNTRY, that seems infair to you? I think it actually is.

[edit] Needs a thorough rewrite

This needs a thorough rewrite for several reasons. Among them, the fight song and alma mater for this school do not merit inclusion in an encyclopedia article. The entire flavor of the article is poor and not up to standards. Also, the discussion of the 1964 controversy is horribly biased, and it looks as if it were written by an anti-Panamanian partisan with some knowledge concerning the historical facts. There were, in fact, a number of controversial issues, of which this was only one. Some additional comments:

The passing reference to the race of US attendees is fair and accurate (this, and this kind of thing, never did sit well with Panamanian culture, which did not suffer from US-style race relations).

Regarding the flag issue - as a reminder that the Canal Zone is in Panama, US law REQUIRED that the Panamanian flag fly wherever the US flag was flown. At the high school, which was run by Zonians, US students refused to raise the Panamanian flag (a ceremonial flag raising by students is common at US schools). No need to rehash the consequences here, but flag-raising was taken over by the school ROTC, which was led by active-duty US military personnel, and US law was thereafter followed. The activities of the Zonians dishonored a flag, but I would hold that it was not the Panamanian flag that was dishonored by their actions.

Before integration, the school was attended by three rather distinct groups, of approximately equal number: Zonians (US civilians living in the Canal Zone), US military dependents (who are not considered Zonians), and Panamanians (all or nearly all from the upper class). As to why so many Panamanians might attend a US school when international relations are reported as being poor, consider that (1) people are people, and the relationships of governments do not necessarily mean that the relationships of individuals follow in lock-step; (2) international relations are not as one dimensional as they are often portrayed, and the opportunity to attend a good US school is as broadening to the student as would be the case if roles were reversed; and (3) attending a US high school has advantages when applying to a US college, and Panamanian students were very much aware of this.

Had to cut this horribly POV line: "These martyrs, and the 1989 US invasion, have been exploited shamelessly by Panamanian nationalists and politicians for decades now."

24.178.228.14 (talk) 22:35, 3 January 2008 (UTC)