Silent But Strong: Toni Smith's flag protest is a refreshing display of courage rarely seen

CollegeSports.com ^ | 03/01/2003 | Postaledde

[postaledde]

Manhattanville College basketball player Toni Smith has been drawing unusually large crowds to Division III women's basketball games lately. Five hundred fans packed the gym for a road game at Mount St. Mary's. More than 300 showed up to see her at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

But they're not there to be dazzled by her skills on the court or to watch a big conference game as the regular season wears down. Nor are they there to cheer on the home team. They show up to heckle Smith because she has the courage to stand up for what she believes in.

Smith has been silently protesting American policy throughout the season at Manhattanville basketball games. When the national anthem is played before games, Smith turns her back to the American flag because, in her words, "the government's priorities are not on bettering the quality of life for all its people, but rather on expanding its own power."

[LdSentinal]

Toni Smith has the right to face away from the flag. Though I find her actions to be deplorable, it's her right to do.

However, I'm wondering why John Rocker never got such favorable media attention for exercising his 1st Amendment rights.

[webber]

You say you love your country, and then trash what America stands for and then promote what Commmunism stands for? Girl, yuse stewpidd, ignrunt, cornfewsd, imbisillick, an unejewkaited, juss lyk duh ress of yuse demon-rats.

[mollynme]

Her monthly check from the government isn't big enough?
The hypocrite is probably getting tuition assistance!

[FirstTomato]

To me the our flag stands for the ideals of freedom and liberty and who we are as a people. It doesn't stand for the government at all.

When people kick or burn or turn their back on the flag, they are turning their backs on their countrymen, on the ideals we cherish.

However, she can do it if she wants. But I don't understand why she is getting so much publicity. She should be shunned instead, completely ignored as if she didn't exist.

[Dont Mention the War]

Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot and Mao stood up for what they believed in, too.

As do most two-year-olds.

[Godel]

But they're not there to be dazzled by her skills on the court or to watch a big conference game as the regular season wears down. Nor are they there to cheer on the home team. They show up to heckle Smith because she has the courage to stand up for what she believes in.

Ridiculous. The author cloaks Ms Smith's action in patriotism and heroism as an example of free speech. Yet when hundreds of people exercise their rights of free speech to oppose her, they are demonized. Here lies the true hypocrisy of the left.

[Dont Mention the War]

[Martus]

Toni Smith must not be getting attention or love at home.

She should enjoy her 15 minutes of fame.

And get resounding booed every time she touches the ball.

[maica]

However, she can do it if she wants. But I don't understand why she is getting so much publicity. She should be shunned instead, completely ignored as if she didn't exist.

---

She probably is emulating the two American Olympic sprinters who made the Black Power salute during the playing of our National Anthem in Mexico City when they were on the winner's podium. In many areas they are promoted as role models for protesters, especially during Black History Month.

[The Electrician]

The CBS evening news just glorified this insulting behavior as a shining example of a courageous young woman exercising her "freedom of expression,"

I must have missed the CBS segment glorifying the people in South Carolina who support the open display of the Confederate flag for exercising their "freedom of expression".

[Teacher317]

"the government's priorities are not on bettering the quality of life for all its people, but rather on expanding its own power."

If I truly believed that this was her entire reasoning, I just might applaud her with one hand. I disagree that "bettering the quality of life" is a goal of our Constitution, and I disagree that the flag is the symbol of that power-mongering... but I do think that the bureaucratic behemoth does needs to gets its nails trimmed... and its tail tucked... and its ears docked... and a few limbs amputated... and a few stomach staples... and...

The misguided girl is picking a really bad time to make a stand against that symbol. Since 9-11, how can she avoid it? Does she turn away from every other car she sees on the highway?

I think she's just another Lefty who wants the nanny-state, wants to oppose the conservative movement, wants to defang the only parts of the federal behemoth that are Constitutionally mandated, and wants to be in the limelight for it.

[Salvation]

**Why not have her stay in the locker-room until the National Anthem is completed, and then she comes onto the floor with the rest of the team. She avoids the Flag, and everyone else avoids her immature behavior... **

This was O'Reilly's take on this situation.

Personally, I think that since the college probably receives some federal tax money, the dean of the college should ask her to leave the team so that they will not lose the money. Selfish, I know. But isn't this person acting out of selfishness already?

[lonestar]

Hakeem Olijawon (sp), Houston Rockets, spent about 18 years in the NBL, standing respectfully during the Nation Anthem without calling attention to himself.

Until some NBL player became a new recruit to Islam and refused to stand, calling attention to hhimself, nobody had even thought about Hakeem's position.

When asked about it, Hakeem said it was about "respect" and the new Muslim didn't "get it."

[metesky]

Then: "It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the military has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber."

Golly, it's good to see a college student who can memorize bumper stickers whole.

[SandRat]

Given how corrupted her mind is as a Sociology major; the first old and grizzled platoon seargent that I had the misfortune to literally bump into and later become good friends with (God-Rest His Soul) would have a few choice words to describe her.

For people that he gut-wrenchingly disliked calling them a "stockade cot warmer" was lowest thing possible to him.

But in this girls case I can hear him saying:

"Hmmft! She ain't worth even bein a stockade cot warmer."

[tet68]

"....our schools get all the money they need....."

Uh, toni, that would be today.

"...hold a bake sale to buy a bomber"

Didn't we do that sort of thing during WWII.?

Maybe it's WW III. she's asking for.

[Stultis]

this chick is protesting expanding government power and Freepers are hassling her...?

Oh, puh-lease! AS IF a left-radical is going to come out and say to the press, "yes, I advocate a socialist super-state devoted to obsessively micromanaging the socially correct behavior of every American, and with a foreign policy that advances totalitarianism across the globe."

[Jesse]

"You say you love your country, and then trash what America stands for and then promote what Commmunism stands for? Girl, yuse stewpidd, ignrunt, cornfewsd, imbisillick, an unejewkaited, juss lyk duh ress of yuse demon-rats. "

So, which public high school did you graduate from?

[Jesse]

"I do not recall all of the "promises" you mention being made by anyone for whom we could vote. Could you cite your source(s), please?"

Republicans voted for the Patriot act and the creation of the TSA, and the Dept. of Homeland Security, which was originally proposed by democrats. Bush originally said it would not greatly increase cost of government...hah!

http://www.mtstandard.com/opinion/opinion1.html


As for term limits, and the abolition of various cabinet departments, these were centerpieces of Republican promises in the early 1990's...contract with America, I believe. Here is an update...I do not agree with Broder, by the way, that experience is so necessary to negate need for term limits. He understands, though, that the longer these parasites serve in Congress, the more likely they are to push a leftist agenda.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A8470-2003Jan3&notFound=true

Finally, Kasich and Domenici introduced legislation back in 1995 to eliminate certain cabinet level bureaucracies. They were not the only ones in GOP to support it,but you can look up the rest. Here is the link. Scroll to bottom.



http://www.educause.edu/pub/wu/1995/0512.html#GOP

Regulatory reduction used to be a big promise of the GOP. Not anymore. Here is just one article...but have you forgotten all the last minute Clinton era regulations which Bush not only did not try and eliminate, but adopted?

http://www.cei.org/gencon/005,01310.cfm

Just go to Google and do a search. You can find tons of promises the GOP has broken, ignored and lied about.