GRANTS PASS, Ore. — Ken Webber wears his redneck heart out in the open, for all to see. On his right arm a red, white and blue tattoo depicts his skin ripped open to reveal an American flag and the words “100 percent American.” On his left, the tears reveal a Confederate flag and the words “Pure Redneck.”

So when Webber was told to surrender the Confederate flag that flies from the CB antenna on his pickup truck — or be suspended from his job driving a school bus in Talent — the choice was easy.

Webber chose his flag.

“My flag will fly.”

“No one here is gonna tell me what I can and can’t believe in.”

Webber, 28, of Medford drives the kindergarten bus for Talent Elementary School.

He has been driving for First Student Inc., which contracts buses for the Phoenix-Talent School District, for the past four years. He also attends community college and is married with four young children.

Webber got the Confederate battle flag, emblazoned with the word Redneck, as a birthday present in 2009 from his dad, and has been flying it ever since.

But last month, school Superintendent Ben Bergreen saw it on Webber’s truck parked at the school bus yard in Talent and told Webber’s supervisor the flag had to go, or Webber had to go.