Posted on 02/25/2003 7:20:25 PM PST by Chi-townChief
Just when you thought all college athletes were unable to see beyond the walls of the gym, along comes one to prove you wrong.
Toni Smith plays basketball for Division III Manhattanville. The 5-10 senior guard/forward is averaging 5.4 points and 8.2 rebounds. WNBA-bound, she is not. But a growing number of Americans will remember her name long after they've forgotten the top pick in the next WNBA draft.
Before each game this season, Smith has purposefully turned away from the U.S. flag as the national anthem has been played. Smith never expected her quiet act to cause a commotion, and for most of the season, it went almost unnoticed.
That changed when Manhattanville played at the Merchant Marine Academy earlier this month. There, midshipmen in the stands rallied against Smith, waving flags and calling her unpatriotic. Since then, there have been protests against Smith at every Manhattanville game.
During a Manhattanville home game Sunday, a Vietnam veteran ran onto the court and held an American flag in front of Smith.
''She disgraced herself and she disgraced the flag,'' he told the Associated Press after he was ejected from the arena.
It can't be easy for Smith, being singled out this way for her beliefs, yet she has not wavered in her silent protest. Her detractors think she's anti-American, a common reaction to any protest involving the flag. Smith, a New York City native, has so far refused to speak publicly about the reasons for her protest. But she released a written statement last weekend.
''For some time now, the inequalities that are embedded into the American system have bothered me,'' she wrote. ''As they are becoming progressively worse and it is clear that the government's priorities are not on bettering the quality of life for all of its people, but rather on expanding its own power, I cannot, in good conscience, salute the flag.''
The statement also mentioned the government's impending war against Iraq.
Tiny Manhattanville, located in Purchase, N.Y., about 30 miles outside New York City, has an enrollment of 1,400 undergrads. Its mission is ''to educate students to become ethically and socially responsible leaders for the global community.'' Smith, a senior sociology major, apparently has taken the mission to heart.
She is no Muhammad Ali or Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. They were famous before they took public stands on controversial issues. When Ali objected to the Vietnam War, when Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for the national anthem, they realized people would be paying attention. Smith did not. Who watches Division III basketball? Probably fewer people than watch a high school game involving LeBron James.
''She did not expect this [public reaction],'' said Mary Corrarino, the school's senior vice president. ''No one really paid any attention to it until recently. She's a serious, thoughtful, introspective person who has been thrust into this in many ways. But she's doing OK.''
When Ali refused to serve in Vietnam, the government prosecuted him. When Abdul-Rauf, a Muslim, remained seated for the national anthem during the 1995-96 season, the NBA suspended him. But Manhattanville's administration has supported Smith's right to protest.
''She is expressing her opinion in a way that is silent,'' Corrarino said. ''It isn't attention-getting. All in all, we've been very proud of her and of her teammates, who have been able to take a step back and see the big picture.''
Manhattanville plays its home games in the 300-seat Kennedy Gym, which was dedicated in 1957. Yes, it's named after the Kennedys--some members of the family attended Manhattanville way back when. Could echoes of JFK's Peace Corps speech be floating over the campus, reminding students of the big world they inhabit?
''We encourage diversity of ideas,'' Corrarino said. ''We want students to tolerate opinions they aren't in agreement with.''
How lucky for Smith that she plays basketball at a small school. If she played in Division I, someone would have put a quick stop to her protest. While Division I schools can tolerate recruiting scandals and the like, an anti-war statement, however quiet, might bring unwanted publicity to an athletic program. There is little room for such diversity of opinion in big-time college sports.
In her statement, Smith wrote: ''Patriotism can be shown in many ways, but those who choose to do so by saluting the flag should recognize that the American flag stands for individuality and freedom. Therefore, any true patriot must acknowledge and respect my right to be different.''
Not all of Smith's teammates agree with her protest. Coach Shawn Lincoln has at times been challenged trying to keep the team focused on basketball. But it hasn't been all bad. The team is headed into its conference tournament with a 16-9 record.
School president Richard Berman released a statement about Smith's protest: ''While Ms. Smith is expressing her personal views and not necessarily those of the college, the First Amendment guarantees her right to do so. ... [We] ask only that all views be expressed--and received--with respect and dignity.''
A fair request.
cslezak@suntimes.com
What she doesn't have is the "right" not to be hooted out for it.
Some little empty headed basketball chick doesn't like our flag, so what?
Why does the media give her stupid minority viewpoint all this exposure?
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