Robert Lucido '15, the president of Amherst College Republicans, writes responding to the controversy surrounding the "All Lives Matter" campaign.

Last week, a new student group on campus called Black Lives Matter showed great initiative by organizing a series of events highlighting police brutality against persons of color. Not only was it encouraging to see such activism, but their events and corresponding social media efforts also garnered attention for a troubling issue that disproportionately affects individuals of color.

About a week ago, I walked into class reading an article about the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals’ unanimous decision to uphold a high school’s policy barring students from wearing American flag clothing on Cinco de Mayo. The largest court of appeals in the United States ruled that such a ban did not violate its students’ constitutional right to the freedom of expression, due process or equal protection under the law because it was intended to quell possible racial tensions.