Posted on 09/15/2003 8:14:12 PM PDT by ucfdeltagirl
(CNSNews.com) - The first American flag in a Florida state university classroom was unfurled at the University of Central Florida in Orlando on Friday afternoon as a result of an effort led by conservative students.
"This is a great day for UCF students," said Heather Smith, president of Rebuilding on a Conservative Kornerstone, or ROCK, a student-based group that has been working for months to have the flags placed in the school's classrooms.
Smith said it is national emblem of freedom and liberty. However, critics of the plan said the American flags would be used to show political support for President Bush and U.S. intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan, issues that not all students agree on.
Several months ago, the school administration approved the group's request to hang flags in every classroom, and UCF officials even offered to provide the labor necessary to install them. However, ROCK was required to come up with the funds to buy the flags.
The organization asked the university's student government for about $3,000 to obtain 200 flags. On Aug. 28, the student leaders voted 20-13 to deny that request after some representatives said they wanted the university - not student fees - to pay for the purchase.
Debate on the issue lasted for more than two hours and was often contentious.
"I would consider this an invasion of what is supposed to be a bastion of critical thought, the university," said Robert Coffman, a junior majoring in English at the school. "What's the next proposal? Let's have President Bush's photo in every classroom?"
"The flag doesn't offend me personally," said UCF sophomore Matt De Vlieger, a native of Coral Springs, Fla. "The way it's being used does offend me."
"It's a shame that our extremist student government is so out of step with the average UCF student," said Thomas Dexter, vice president of ROCK, after the decision was made.
However, local radio talk show host Shannon Burke heard about the vote and decided to raise money for ROCK's effort during his morning program. Within an hour, Burke had gathered all the needed funds.
The biggest contribution to the project came from the state's Elks organization (the original founders of Flag Day), which donated more than $2,000. Also providing financial support were the local SunTrust Bank, people in the Orlando community and UCF alumni and students.
On Thursday, Sept. 4, the flags for every classroom were delivered to the UCF campus. "With the money that ROCK has raised privately," Smith said, "the flags will be installed this month."
Smith had worked closely with Adam Guillette, a University of Florida senior and chairman of the Freedom Foundation. Following their success at UCF, Smith and Guillette plan to help students at other colleges promote the idea on their campuses.
Still, the controversy over the project hasn't gone away. Some students gathered outside the UCF Student Union this past week to protest the effort, with some of the youths calling the American flag "fascist" and "offensive."
Nevertheless, Burke dismissed those who claim that the flags are being used in a partisan way. "The American flag transcends any political issue," he said.
See Earlier Story: Students Push for American Flags in College Classrooms (July 25, 2003)
Coral Springs is a bastion of affluent, NY-imported liberalism in the Sheeple's Republic of Broward County. This punk is typical of the idiots who come out of Taravella High School down there.
With all due respect, you miss my point----If they love the campus so much that they want to buried there, that is fine with me.
As for the flag disrupting campus, I guess there may be such a thing as a self-fulfilling prophecy.
For all the talk of "academic freedom" on college campi---it is interesting to see a professor jump on me for guessing that some of my old prof's would be wailing over THIS issue.
If the flag is divisive, it may be more of a cultural issue (as in decline of) than anything else. Republicans and Democrats have died for the ideals our flag supposedly represents, yet it is most common today that it is those on the left that villify the flag.
"What I do see is people who are sick of being pushed around by what they perceive as a radical right-wing coup that took over the government and is pushing revolutionary policies through at a furious pace, destroying everything they love about America -- tolerance, the rule of law, justice, truth, compassion, civil discourse, etc."
Please cite examples of each of the above. I was not aware of any right-wing coup or any revolutionary policies of said coup.
My views may or may not be supportable in your definition since you use the caveat of "reasoned arguments". I feel that I am not emotional about the issue, but I find it amusing when people get offended about our national symbol.
If your students want exposure to different political philosophies than those that are on the current approved list within academia, why not mention Freerepublic as a place for them to do some research?
Fair enough, I feel the same way about taxes and toll-booths.
"He uses that word to describe the neo-conservatives' takeover of governmental and non-governmental institutions."
I am familiar with the book, I understand it is getting good reviews from the anti-Isreal crowd as well. Makes you wonder.
"I fear that permanent flags will detract from my ability to guarantee a safe place for discussion."
Give that fear to God. Things get easier to handle at least from a certain perspective.
Neo-con has been a strong buzzword lately to say "its the Jews" in terms of our foreign policy decisions. It seems to be one area where Paleo-cons and the radical left seem to share venom.
I don't understand your last point about "things getting easier from a certain perspective." What things do you mean? How do they get easier?"
In my experience, it has helped me to realize that anticipated disasters rarely come to pass.
Well, your posts did raise my blood pressure, but I will ask a few questions in a civil manner. I respect your coming here, and your overall tone. To address a few of your own statements:
"What I do see is people who are sick of being pushed around by what they perceive as a radical right-wing coup that took over the government and is pushing revolutionary policies through at a furious pace, destroying everything they love about America --tolerance, the rule of law, justice, truth, compassion, civil discourse, etc.
Tolerance. An interesting word. What does it mean? A purely tolerant person would simply accept everything. Why are you not simply tolerating the flags in the classrooms? Because you disagree with it. One of the FREEDOMS we enjoy in America is not to have to tolerate any idea we do not agree with. Now by that I do not mean violence; I mean we have the freedom to speak out against anything we do not wish to accept. Whether one agrees with the idea or not, we can do so. Are you tolerant of rape, murder, etc? Of course not. You are then, by definition, intolerant. I resent the left appropriating this word for themselves...and your own pledge towards academic freedom notwithstanding, I submit that you are guilty of the very thing to say you abhor. You are attempting to stifle ROCK's viewpoints by calling them "intolerant."
justice. Again, what is your definition of the word? Do you mean as in "social justice"...as in, some people have more than others and that's not fair, so we must rectify that by force?
compassion. Again, I ask for your definition of the word. If I wear a red AIDS ribbon, does that mean I'm compassionate, or if I actually come out and say, "you know, not doing drugs or engaging in risky sexual behavior will drastically lower your chances of getting AIDS," am I compassionate or (to use another favorite word of the left) "judgemental?"
civil discourse. This must be the funniest. Civil discourse. The right is destroying civil discourse. Do you include any of these flaming right-wingers in with this dastardly conspiracy?..
...recalling George W. Bush's talk of outreach to black Americans, Representative William Clay of Missouri (D) said that picking Ashcroft resembled "the way that Ku Klux Klan members worked to improve race relations: They, too, reached out to blacks with nooses and burning crosses."
Al Sharpton, who said during the post-election ballot fight in Florida that conservatives wanted to "do the same thing to us" that "Hitler in his wickedness and evil" did to the Jews.
Michelangelo Signorile, the well-known gay writer, who wrote that while Afghanistan "has been protecting Osama bin Laden, Italy has been harboring another omnipotent religious zealot, one who equally condemns us Western sinners and incites violence. . . .. Meet John Paul II, Christian fundamentalist extraordinaire and a man who inspires thugs across the globe . . . ."
The several members of the Hawaii ACLU board of directors who publicly objected to inviting Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to take part in a debate on the grounds that he is "an Antichrist," "a Hitler" -- or "if not Hitler, he is a Goebbels" -- and an "a--hole," and that allowing him to speak would be "like having a serial murderer debate the value of life."
California Attorney General Bill Lockyer (D), who said last summer, in reference to the chairman of Enron Corp., "I would love to personally escort [Kenneth] Lay to an 8-by-10 cell that he could share with a tattooed dude who says, 'Hi, my name is Spike, honey.'"
Actor Alec Baldwin, who openly called for the murder of Congressman Henry Hyde and his family on national TV.
Do any of these ring a bell, Prof? Are these examples of the left's "civil discourse" that the right is attempting to dismantle? But moving on...
They see a group of people like ROCK who are willing to support these radical policies by any means necessary, just as the Brown Shirts supported Hitler early on in his regime by beating up and intimidating opponents, including students and professors with whom they disagreed.
Despicable. The Nazis were evil through and through. They attempted to take over the entire world. They murdered millions of people. These are kids placing flags in classrooms, which make some people (who apparently aren't self-confident enough) "uncomfortable." You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself for these comments. They are not part of any "civil discourse" that I would support. I submit that you are again guilty of that which you purport to abhor...you are attempting to silence other views by linking them, weakly and awkwardly, to the most evil regime the world has ever seen. Shame to you, sir.
I see nothing positive coming out of the polarization on campuses these days, except perhaps for some new organizations like the Progressive Faculty Federation (of which I am a founding member) which are trying to act primarily to defend ourselves against attacks like Shannon Burke's.
What is this organization for? Is there a conservative faculty foundation? Will you be attempting to silence any voices which differ (or "dissent") from the PFF's POV?
You have also characterized some of Mr. Burke's statements as "homophobic" and "racist." Again, these are words that are used by the left to silence any POVs that dissent from them. "Racist" means that belief that one race is genetically superior to another. Did Mr. Burke say this, or that he believed this? I suspect that what you meant to say was, "Mr. Burke said some things I disagree with. He is, therefore, racist." Ditto the above sentiments for the word "homophobic." Is there a sign in your office that says HATE SPEECH IS NOT FREE SPEECH?
And lastly, if you take Paul Krugman as an intellectual mentor, I would suggest you see the following:
http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_luskin/truthsquad091603.asp
Cheers.
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH I can't stand it. How does a FLAG stand for the administration???? These liberal idiots are driving me nuts.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.