BigT, having been a voter in that2001 NAVA survey I’ve got a bit of a vested interest (woohoo, we’re #7! we’re #7! we’re #7! and my onetime adopted state is doing even better at #4 ). Notice GA2001 was voted to the bottom of the entire pile, it just contained too many vexillological errors in one same place; though I must say, the ones that spell out the state name in big bold letters are IMO the ultimate embrace of fail.
Now, now: it was*** the long- ago OP*** who asked the question: “Just what the heck is the stars and bars doing in a Chicago suburban high school and is there any significance to it?”
Since the film was a scripted, directed work, it was a legitimate question, though it arose from a misconception. The OP was asking, is there a reason this school would normally display it, and/or is it there because of a point being made.
The answer, of course, there is and a very humdrum reason at that: that it’s part of a display of state and historic flags in a library (and it WAS a re-created set, they shot in a school that had been closed 3 years earlier); in your words, “a collection of the kinds of things that would ordinarily been a part of the scenery”. OP’s question objectively answered.
However, in the OP’s question: "…what the heck is the stars and bars doing in a Chicago suburban high school…? we can see that he has *misconstrued * both what the object was and, more importantly, what would be the appropriate circumstances for its exhibition. OP came across as unaware that representations of the Confederate Battle Flags have always been legitimate items to display in an history-education context in any school library in the 50 states, not just the South.
HOWEVER regardless of times, you could ***not *** “just put up a flag if you wanted” on the school walls. You’ve ***always ***had to have the approval or at least forebearance of the school administration.
Except that in the context discussed it is not something that was put up by the student character, but very obviously something that was* being exhibited by the library*, so that should not even be in question.
I did not see the Confederate Battle flag, what I saw was a library with the American flag, the Betsy Ross flag and what looked like many state flags which all seemed to be the 13 original states. All these flags, can be viewed at Flag-Works state flag page In the smoking scene with Emilio Estevez I saw Rhode island, Tennessee, and Virginia. I’m sure there are others
Better picture. Definitely the GA state flag that was in use from 1956-2001. Completely accurate for a movie set in 1985. As noted above, the flag in the foreground is VA.
There was never a time when people could do as they pleased. What there was was a time when white people could do what they pleased and black people were warned not to complain about it.
Nowadays, black people are allowed to be offended so white people have to consider the feelings of black people. Black people see this as an improvement. Most white people see this as an improvement. But some white people miss the good old days when they didn’t have to care about what black people thought.
Coincidentally, when Clarence Thomas was nominated for the Supreme Court, he was charged by some with having a Confederate flag in his office. It was, in fact, a Georgia state flag, representing his home state.
Once Anita Hill came along, that issue died off quickly.
Now, do you all remember the alternative ending where the adults become kids and enter the classroom to sit next to our main characters? That was weird. Only on VHS in New Zealand, though.
and my onetime adopted state is doing even better at #4 
). Notice GA2001 was voted to the bottom of the entire pile, it just contained too many vexillological errors in one same place; though I must say, the ones that spell out the state name in big bold letters are IMO the ultimate embrace of fail.
