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As a student at UCF following this whole flag controversy mess with the hippies protesting against the American flag, here's my $.02 to the I'm assuming the "Progressive Council letter" (since you didn't list the "vaious student leaders") to the administration:

1. Since flags in the classroom will affect the faculty as well as students, why wasn't the faculty senate consulted prior to your decision to publicly support ROCK's flag proposal?

The classrooms are there because of the students not the professors. The professors salaries are paid for by American tax dollars and American students tuition (and some international students (3%) tuition but since we tax payers also pay for most of THEIR tuition also to come over here, it's still pretty much American money going into that university...80% of the research dollars come from DEPT. of DEFENSE contracts)... so how is the country you live in that pays your bills so offensive again?

2. Will faculty be punished for removing the flag, if they so choose, while they are using the classroom?

It's called vandalism of university property. The teachers are there to teach not INDOCTRINATE. While you might be offended by America, you better bet MOST STUDENTS sitting in your classroom would be severely OFFENDED by you taking the American flag as that is a slap in the face to every American.

3. What are the consequences for anyone caught removing or damaging the flag?

Once again, that's vandalism and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Professor, I doubt you'll get your tenure for vandalizing your university's property.

4. Are you willing to weaken democratic principles on campus? If not, how do you justify your decision to act against the decision of the UCF Student Senate by favoring the ROCK proposal?

UCF Senate NEVER voted against the American flags, they voted against FUNDING them. Like any other student group, ROCK went elsewhere for funding when they couldn't get the funding from SGA. ROCK went to the administration for permission then went to SGA as a method for funding. While yes, several senators were against the flags all together, but the vote was only for funding, not permission (SGA does not have that power). I wouldn't be surprised if NORML in the Progressive Council bargained a bag of weed for each senator to vote against the flag funding. It's funny how NORML gets an awful lot of funding from SGA...

5. Students on campus who have voiced opposition to permanent flags in the classroom can provide documented reports of harassment from ROCK members and supporters. What will the university do to defend the free speech of those who oppose the placement of permanent flags in the classroom, and those who speak out on other controversial issues?

I'd like to see these "documented" reports. I'm sure the people from ROCK can provide even more "documented" reports from these anti-flag people.

6. Are you against open and critical dialogue and academic debate about American values in the classroom? If not, how do you justify the presence of officially-sanctioned flags that may undermine such dialogue? How will you prevent the recurrence of intimidation tactics and harassment that may
also undermine dialogue?

I think just because someone tells you they object to your anti-flag stance of the flag of their own country, I hardly call that "intimidation," that's called FREE SPEECH. For someone who pretends to like free speech so much, you certainly like to stifle others' free speech.

7. Are you willing to abandon the goals of internationalization and diversity at UCF in order to have these flags? If not, why are you willing to accept flags from Shannon Burke, a talk-show host whose racism and homophobia are well-documented?

The only "well-documented" info you have about Shannon Burke is a anti-Shnnon website with a webmaster who thinks suicide bombers walking into a cafe killing little 2-year olds are "heroes." Look at the cover of Islamic Society of Central Florida's newsletter this month, Shannon Burke is on the cover being praised for all his charitable work with the Muslim community. Tune into Shannon's show for once.

8. What would be the negative consequences of having flags placed in prominent areas of campus rather than in each classroom?

Whether it's in classrooms or outside, it's our country's flag, there's nothing wrong with our American flag.

I saw the news Friday, the first flag went up! I think that's awesome that ROCK got them in. I can't wait to go to class now. I hope my pro-flag stance hasn't "intimidated" you, I'm just merely practicing a little thing called free speech. Your comments about ROCK make me want to join the club even more. How do I contact them?

ucfdeltagirl,

I will try as best I can to explain to you why your responses do not cut it.

I didn't put the students' names on this post to freerepublic because I don't want to subject these people to any misguided wrath without checking with them first to see if that's what they are up to.

These questions were proposed to President Hitt, not to you. If Hitt had answered these questions the way that you just did, he would be hounded out of office, and rightly so.

"Hippies?" I am not one, never was. Even if I were, what good is name calling of that sort? It does nothing to counter the arguments of the anti-flag position.

1. Since you are talking about my salary, I would like to point out that it comes from a number of sources, some of which is state money, but very little of it federal money. By that token, we should have a Florida state flag in the classrooms. In any case, I am somewhat underpaid and could make more in the private sector.

The research money that the defense department puts into UCF is returned in the form of research, not in the form of flags.

The classroom should be a space for free academic inquiry into core American values, behaviors, and values. It should not be used as a platform for promoting someone's narrow view of patriotism. It should not be used to test people's loyalty or allegiance to some narrow set of prescribed values.

As I mentioned to you before, I do not find the flag nor the country I live in to be offensive. I find a plan to force flags on people who don't want them offensive.

2. "Removing flags" is hardly vandalism. Let's say I remove a chair from a room. Is that vandalism? Not if it's still on university property and I return it to the room when I am through with the room.

I do not "indoctrinate." I teach. In fact, ask conservative students who have taken my classes in the past five years and they will tell you the same thing. What is good teaching? For one thing, it should probably make some people uncomfortable. So what if it does? This is a university, not a grade school.

I often teach texts by right wing artists and thinkers. Sometimes these texts make liberal students uncomfortable. Again, that is my job. I also teach the U.S. flag in class. I don't care if it makes people uncomfortable because it is part of a temporary learning situation in which the rules of dialogue apply. They are not officially-sanctioned flags, but flags used for the purpose of learning what a flag is.

Finally, I never said I would take down a flag. I am not stupid enough to fall for the trap that ROCK is trying to set for me and others like me who find their whole scheme to be a form of red-baiting and neo-McCarthyism.

3. As I said, I am not condoning vandalism against flags or anything else. The question about what the punishment is for vandalism, however, is appropriate to ask of the president.

Now, as for your insinuation that I might lose my tenure . . . the very suggestion on your part leads me to believe that all this talk of the flags symbolizing freedom is just hot air. The people proposing the flags intend to use them as bludgeons to punish ideological enemies.

Wouldn't you rather have tenure decisions based on academic qualifications and accomplishments rather than on some loyalty test set up by ROCK?

By the way, you should read about what happened to the universities in Germany during the Nazi period. They threw out academic standards too and went to loyalty tests, just as you are proposing.

4. The SGA considered many issues besides money in their consideration of the flag issue. Money seemed to me to be one of the least of their concerns. The greatest concern they had was that a great number of students didn't want the flags.

Your insinuation that NORML bribed SGA senators with pot for their "no" vote is disgusting and slanderous.

5. I don't think anyone would trust you with reports of harassment from ROCK members. The police have several reports and President Hitt is aware of them.

6. Tell me you love flags; I won't try to shut you down or shut you up. Put a flag on every surface you own. Eat flags for breakfast. I will have no complaint. Try to destroy the academic environment, however, and I will have a lot to say about it.

7. I have listened to Burke's show at least three times. He makes me sick with every sentence he says. I have little doubt that the website about him is accurate. However, I am willing to listen to the tapes of his shows to verify it. Do you have them?

8. I am not against flags, just as I am not against classrooms. I am against flags in classrooms, especially at public universities, because we need a free space for academic inquiry into American values.

You can contact ROCK by taking a right. Go for a while and take another right. Keep taking rights until you can go no further. That's where ROCK is.

Barry