Posted on 11/13/2003 11:23:47 AM PST by MikalM
There are a few places on this planet where I can imagine the sight of an American flag might be unwelcome. In the mountains of Afghanistan, maybe. Or in some of the funkier neighborhoods of Tikrit, not to mention Paris.
In such places, the Stars and Stripes might strike fear in the hearts of men and maybe even spark feelings of hatred, which is too bad.
However, I never thought of Havertown as being such a place. And it never occurred to me that the Haverford Township Free Library would have to concern itself with the feelings of such American flag-hating people. But it does. Imagine that!
As I understand the story, back in September the "Friends" of the library, a volunteer group that helps it raise money, attempted to present an American flag to Director Addie Ciannella for display in the building. She declined the gift.
Or as she explained it in a e-mail to library’s board of trustees:
"It was a rather awkward situation .. but she didn’t feel as if she had much of a choice given her "professional opinion" which is "the library (any public library) is a place for all people of all beliefs, backgrounds, etc. Symbols can send a message of unwelcome philosophical orientation, expectations of others, and can produce ill will and even fear. I know we are an adjunct of the government but we are not the (township) or county or other government. All (Haverford Township) people pay taxes, not just those who fly the American flag."
She realized that this was a "sensitive issue" but she counseled, "I think we need to examine the symbols we display especially around the holidays."
The date of the e-mail: 9/11/2003. Wasn’t that sensitive of her?
When trustee Bill Mingey read the e-mail he could scarcely believe his eyes. What, he wondered, was Ciannella thinking? Rejecting a perfectly appropriate and wholesome gift from people who are kind enough to fund-raise for the library?
"Insulting" was one of the words he used to describe Ciannella’s action. "Ludicrous" was the word he used to describe her defense of it.
At the board meeting a few days later, Mingey made his feelings about how the matter was handled known to Ciannella and his fellow board members. To his amazement and chagrin the board dithered over the question of whether to accept the flag.
"Never in my life did I think I would be involved in this kind of issue," Mingey told me. "I’m not a flag-waving kind of guy. But this made my blood boil."
And the fact that the rest of the board just didn’t seem to understand, indicated to him he was of no use to them.
In his letter of resignation, Mingey wrote, "Is the America we live in so bizarre that our public library refuses to accept an American flag from a financial supporter and display it proudly no matter what the consequence?"
The answer to that question is yes and no.
When I called Ciannella Monday to ask her about this she denied that there ever was a problem.
"There is no controversy," she said. She informed me that the flag in question was accepted as a gift and is in the library. "There was absolutely no controversy."
I asked her if there was no controversy, then why did one of the members of the board resign over how the matter was handled. She seemed stumped. Then I read her the portion of her e-mail about how the American flag might cause ill will or even fear in some library patrons.
Is that accurate? I asked.
"That is very inaccurate," she replied.
Past that she refused to discuss the matter because she was too "busy."
So I called the president of the library’s board of trustees, Melissa Eastman.
"There is really no issue here," she said before explaining the issue to me, calmly and unemotionally.
"We like to consider every issue that comes to us thoughtfully, carefully, fully and in a well-informed manner with facts in hand and not respond to things emotionally."
When it came to the American flag issue, she said, "We are not alone. There were other libraries right after 9/11 not wanting to display flags."
But after researching the matter, thoughtfully, unemotionally, painstakingly, navelly (as in belly-button staring) and anally, Ms. Eastman found "Internet articles, documents, court rulings, and legislation ..(that) overwhelmingly (supported) the display of the American flag" in public libraries.
So the flag was finally accepted and today stands in the Haverford Township Free Library.
Praise Allah.
But what this says about director Ciannella’s original "professional opinion" isn’t flattering. Perhaps she was just being a little too emotional in her reaction to the flag because of her protective feelings for those library patrons in Havertown who might be offended by its scary presence.
I would love to hear from one of them. Is there such a person?
Gil Spencer’s column appears Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. E-mail gspencer@delcotimes.com
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Address: 1601 Darby Rd, Havertown, Pennsylvania 19083
Phone: (610) 446-3082
Fax: (610)853-3090
Contact Name: Adeline Ciannella
Contact Phone: (610)446-3082 x213
Contact Fax: (610)853-3090
Contact Email: htfl@comcast.net
And the American Flag is a symbol that you are either a citizen of, or a guest of, the greatest Nation that God has helped to build on His green Earth. Nowhere else on this planet are you as free and safe as right here in this country; revel in it and know that the People will fight tyranny at every step and those that feel our Flag, the very symbol of this great land, does not belong, had better start looking for a new home because those of us who appreciate what God has given us are getting really fed up with your sh**.
Thinking? HA!
Carolyn
What better symbol could a library display than the symbol of America, which embodies by nature our constitutional republic, who's first law not dealing with the organization of the government body ensured that freedom of the Press would be sacrosanct in this land?
Translation: they're scared to death of controversy. As it turned out, the pro-flag types were the noisiest, so they decided to accommodate them after all.
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