Posted on 10/13/2007 5:29:13 AM PDT by radar101
The U.S. and Mexican flags are going back up at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
The 15 board members present at Thursday evening's special meeting voted unanimously to once again fly the flags, reversing a previous decision to take both down following escalating complaints about the Mexican flag from visitors and threats to the museum's animals.
"Our work is not about border issues, it's not about immigration issues," said Robert Edison, executive administrative director of the museum. "It's about helping people understand that the Sonoran Desert exists in two countries."
But the museum is increasing its spending on security, and will work with local law enforcement to develop protocol for dealing with threats to its staff or animals in the future.
The museum received about 250 phone calls, e-mails and faxes in the past couple of days from people who were disappointed in the decision to remove the flags, Edison said. Some wanted both flags back up but many more wanted the museum to fly only the U.S. flag, he said.
The board, however, did not consider that option. While the U.S. flag represents the museum's patriotism, the Mexican flag shows respect for its southern neighbor's component of the museum, he said. About two-thirds of the the Sonoran Desert, and 75 percent of its biodiversity, are in Mexico.
"We have this long heritage of flying both flags and what they represent, and that is what we're are going to return to," Edison said.
The flags are scheduled to go back up by early next week with both flying at the same height, per international protocol, Edison said. The flags have flown side by side since 1954. Museum officials believe the Mexican flag was a gift from a Sonoran governor.
Board of trustees chairwoman Sophia Kaluzniacki admitted that the threats — including an anonymous phone call in April from a man who said that unless the Mexican flag was taken down the museum would be boycotted "or worse" — played a much bigger role in the board's original decision to take the flags down than she admitted earlier this week. She had said on Tuesday that escalating complaints from visitors were the main thrust behind the decision.
"The board didn't want to take the flags down in the first place; however, we made that decision to do that based on security issues," said Kaluzniacki, a Green Valley veterinarian.
To help ensure the safety of the museum's animals and staff, the board voted to allocate an additional $100,000 for more security personnel and technology, a significant increase in the current security budget of $220,000. The museum's total operating budget is $6.3 million, Edison said.
"I hope this decision will send a message that we're not going to be threatened," Kaluzniacki said. "We'll deal with them, but we're not going to back down just because we are threatened."
The museum is also going to move forward with plans for an interpretive station that explains the museum's binational focus. The station, which will feature a map of the Sonoran Desert, is expected to be opened near the museum's entrance within 30 to 60 days.
Pima County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry applauded the decision to put the flags back up, saying it's important that the natural history museum — the top tourist destination in the county — accurately reflect the Sonoran Desert, which is a cross-border desert. "It (the Sonoran Desert) was located there long before there were any borders," Huckelberry said. "We all acknowledge we have a border and immigration problem, but arguing over a position of a symbol that is really historic isn't going to solve that problem."
Joan Bundy, an attorney with the Tohono O'odham Nation's office of the prosecutor, said the board made the right move in reversing an ill-advised decision. She was saddened by the museum's decision to bow to people with radical political viewpoints, but was pleased to hear the spirit of the museum would remain intact, she said. "It almost feels likes an island when you go there where politics really doesn't enter, and unfortunately the museum felt it had to bow to politics," said Bundy, who lives in Tucson. "The museum stands for a cross-border, international organization."
Longtime Tucson resident Murray Rulney doesn't object to the Mexican flag's being flown again as long as the U.S. flag is returned to the flagpole. He was irate about the U.S. flag's being taken down.
"The American flag shouldn't be taken down to appease any group," said Rulney, 70. "I don't like our colors being taken down, especially in a time of war." The public outcry about the board's original decision surprised both Edison and Kaluzniacki. Some people said they planned not to visit the museum anymore until the U.S. flag — or in some cases, both flags — flew again, Edison said.
Fortunately, the majority of the calls and e-mails were civil, respectful representations of people's views, with only a few angry callers and no threats, Edison said.
If complaints keep coming from visitors asking why the Mexican flag is being flown or why it's at the same height as the U.S. flag — the museum has been receiving such inquiries about three to five times a week for the past year — the museum will be ready with a response, Edison said.
"We are going to explain that it is part of the museum's heritage dating back to the early '50s, and the flags are flown in great part to represent the binational conservation and educational endeavors of the museum regarding the Sonoran Desert," he said.
The museum also plans to have handouts available on the cross-border history, Kaluzniacki said. While any decision at the museum could be changed by a board vote, Edison said there are no plans to revisit this one.
"We're standing by this decision," he said.
● Contact reporter Brady McCombs at 573-4213 or bmccombs@azstarnet.com.
phone: 520-883-1380 fax: 520-883-2500
by mail or in-person: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 2021 N. Kinney Rd. Tucson, AZ 85743
So long as US Flag code is adhered to, I’ve no problem and both flags of equal size and flown at equal heights is correct. They should be also reminded under the code the Stars and Stripes is always to be the first to be hoisted and the last to be lowered.
Then again, the public can chose not to visit.
I’d be surprised if they adhered to that. I’ve seen uniformed Park Service people, from whom one might expect better, just haul it down, crumple it up and stuff it under their arm to walk back to the facility. I usually offer to help fold it- and I take the stripes end to do a proper job of it.
I’m not unfamiliar with this area, and I’ve been to this museum. It’s really quite nice, and I’d go again- as I have an interest in such things.
BUMP
As if the board members didn't already present themselves like morons. What a load. That must be some super duper fabric for it to still be flying.
http://www.desertmuseum.org/invaders/invaders_scientist.htm
The U.S. and Mexican flags are going back up at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum....
as long as the US flag flies above the mexican flag!!!!
And how much money does Mexico contribute?
“Is this really too much to ask?”
Yes it is because Jorge Bush could care less about our laws or your security. You may not hate Mexico, but as soon as you are attacked or injured by an illegal Mexican alien you might start hating the RINOs and Bush. They could care less about you, America or the real WOT at home.
My dog just ignores my threats.
As long as the Stars & Stripes are honored by protocol above the Mexican rag.
We’re on American soil. The Mexican flag can be shredded up and be used in the bathroom as toilet paper. It’ll save a tree.
So you want them to violate the Flag Code?
You have read the Flag Code, haven't you - it specifies separate flag staffs.
(g) When flags of two or more nations are displayed, they are to be flown from separate staffs of the same height. The flags should be of approximately equal size. International usage forbids the display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation in time of peace.
http://www.legion.org/?section=our_flag&subsection=flag_code&content=flag_position
** Warning - Long and what some may consider boring post..
Well, well. Another US “charity” with a special tax status. Do they help people? Maybe feed someone? Give them shelter? Comfort the sick and dying? Or are they another of the 1.5 million nonprofits that are really just another business that leeches off the taxpayer by pretending to be a “charity” via our nonprofit laws? Should the folks pay no income taxes? Receive tax deductible donations? Obtain various grants? Get taxpayer subsidized postage, etc? You be the judge (see below after the next bit of ranting).
The US taxpayer allows them to play in the desert and have an obviously very fun time. !!!! - If they were in Mexico and wanted to wok under a Mexican nonprofit (Asociación Civil) they likely would not even exist. Nonprofits in Mexico are very difficult and complicated to setup and there is no reason to set one up anyway because the government won’t give them any special benefits like in the US. The Mexican government won’t even allow for REAL charities to operate in Mexico? If they did and allowed rich Mexicans to donate money and get a tax break then you’d have money going in to groups to help the poor in Mexico. Mexico does not want that! They want their poor and ignorant people to come get help from the gringos!
The gringos have REAL charities that will give illegals free stuff an that’s besides what the US government will give illegals. FYI, statistically, Mexicans don’t give to charities or volunteer at all. See here:
http://www.civicus.org/new/media/mexico.pdf
OK. Now here is the US IRS 990 data on our little desert museum in Arizona. Data they don’t seem to want to publish on their own web site. I could not find it there. Nor could I find any indication that anyone but Americans and the American taxpayer keep these people in pretty high cotton.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
employer id - 86-0111675
IRS 990 - Year - 2005
$16,624,768 - Gross receipts
$2,368,398 - Direct Public Support
$4,680,556 - Program Service Revenue including government fees and contracts
$1,248,725 - membership dues and assessments
$398,763 - Interest on savings and temporary cash investments
$28,545,999 - Net Assets or fund balances at end of year
$3,739,968 - Salaries and Wages
$419,000 - Other employee benefits
$31,824,091 - TOTAL ASSETS (year End)
$3,278,092 - TOTAL LIABILITIES (year end)
Robert Edison - Exec. Admin Director:
Compensation - $148,000 / $2,990 benefits / $11,000 Expense account
40 hr week
Richard C. Brusca - Exec. Program Director
Compensation - $148,000 / $3,724 benefits / $12,000 Expense account
40 hr week - Read this link and explain to me how he can work 40 hours a week at the “museum” while doing all this other stuff:
http://www.desertmuseum.org/center/scidept_cv_brusca.php
Kathryn A. Riser-Fridlind - CFO
Compensation - $85,078 / $2,552 benefits /
40 hr week
Christine F. Conte - Director of CSDS
Compensation - $72,100
Margaret Bundy - HR Director
Compensation - $68,248 / $2,048 benefits /
$11,641,661 - Stocks /Securities / Hedge Fund
This is NOT the US flag code. You are talking about the UN flag code for flags displayed on UN soil. Any flag displayed on American soil must be flown below the American flag. International flag code doesn't apply to flags on US soil, we have our own flag code for flying flags on American soil, read it, you might learn something.We are a soveriegn nation and will remain so as long as there is a conservative alive to draw breath.
# No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea, when the church pennant may be flown above the flag during church services for the personnel of the Navy. No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag equal, above, or in a position of superior prominence or honor to, or in place of, the flag of the United States at any place within the United States or any Territory or possession thereof: Provided, That nothing in this section shall make unlawful the continuance of the practice heretofore followed of displaying the flag of the United Nations in a position of superior prominence or honor, and other national flags in positions of equal prominence or honor, with that of the flag of the United States at the headquarters of the United Nations.
Notice, the only place flags can be flown at the same prominence as the US flag is on UN soil. We do not recognize "international" flag codes as overriding our flag code.
There is nothing wrong with the Desert Museum. It is about the plants and animals of the Sonoran desert - and that includes Mexico.
It is a small but very nice zoo. We have a lot of zoos getting public support. I’ve been to Tucson’s Zoo and the ASDM, and the ASDM is the one I go back to regularly.
Not everything is politics.
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