Fans boo as Smith again turns away from flag

AP ^ | 2/22/03 | Unknown

[ChuckHam]

NEWBURGH, N.Y. -- A college basketball player who turns away from the U.S. flag during the national anthem was jeered by flag-waving students at a road game, even while she was on the bench.

Toni Smith, a senior at Manhattanville College, was booed at Mount St. Mary at a game Thursday night.

Smith is protesting "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.'' She has turned away from the flag all season.

Before Thursday's game, the Mount St. Mary student government handed out small flags before the game. More than 500 people filled the small gym, and jeered Smith at every opportunity.

At the end of the game Thursday night's game between Manhattanville and Mount St. Mary's, the crowd sang "God Bless America.''

When Manhattanville played at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy on Feb. 11, more than 300 flag-waving midshipmen greeted Smith with chants of "USA'' and "Leave our country.''

When Smith picked up two fouls in the first three minutes and was benched, the crowd chanted, "We want Toni,'' according to The Journal News.

"For some time now, the inequalities that are embedded into the American system have bothered me. 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,'' Smith said in a statement released Thursday.

Manhattanville President Richard Berman said he told Smith "what she's doing is courageous and difficult.''

[Jesse]

"Say what you want about this person, but she's right here. Most folks around here used to realize that fundamental fact."


"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 think she is right on both counts. Our government and elected representatives (along with their appointed bureaucrats) priority is to gain more power. Heck, discussing this basic fact is what got Free Republic going strong in the first place...unfortunately, now that "their guy" is in power, this fact is being overlooked by many of the GOP-bots and Bush-bots on FR.

Second, the government was once tasked with a more general duty of promoting the general welfare...which can be interpreted as enacting policies which would benefit the quality of life for all people by assuring equal opportunity to succeed or fail. Nowadays, the government expands its own power by taking money and property from some people and giving it to others. Hardly a policy the government has anymore promotes the "general" welfare anymore.


So it depends on what you think the flag represents. I think her protest is mistaken in that the flag represents our country, and not our government, but I would concede that a lot of people think the flag represents our government and our country. To paraphrase a saying, "I love my country but I greatly dislike my current government." So how should I protest what I feel?

Maybe the solution is for the federal government to get its own flag, apart from the Stars and Stripes, so people like me could turn my back on the federal flag or burn it in protest instead.

Let's see, what would be a good flag for the feds? A boot stamping a face is too harsh...maybe a velvet gloved iron fist around a neck to illustrate the tyranny of good intentions...

[wasp69]

Would you join me in explaining to Richard A. Berman, President of Manhattanville College, why FReepers disagree with him?

Done, O.C. Here is what I sent:


"Mr Berman;

I recently read an article where you praised Ms. Smith for her protests against the very country that allows her to disrespect it's leaders, symbols, and institutions without fear of reprisal from the government. However, as you have seen for yourself, that does not exclude ridicule and reprisal from the general population.

When I see a young adult, who has not yet exited the hallowed halls of education and fend for themselves, openly exhibit a blatant disrespect against the most free and equal country on the face of the earth it makes me wonder what they have been taught. When I hear the president of the university they attend praise them, I no longer have to wonder.

You, and the rest of Ms. Smith's educators, must swell with pride when you see the results of your efforts. Since the mind of a student is formed by what is taught, I think you and your staff should be ridiculed along with Ms. Smith. Since she is responsible for her actions and should have to face the consequences, maybe you and your staff should also. Maybe you could explain to the Vietnam Veteran, who forced your "pupil" to face the symbol of freedom and oppurtunity sought by millions, why she holds the views she does and maybe you and your staff could explain to that same Veteran where you were while he was doing his duty.

Mr. Berman, I am currently on active duty. I come from a long line of men who gave of themselves and sacrificed, bled, and fought under the banner which Ms. Smith has been indoctrinated to hold in such contempt. To praise her actions as being "courageous and difficult" is a direct slap in the face of many men and women who would agree that neither you, your staff, nor Ms. Smith have any idea of the true meaning of those words. Maybe if you all took the time to reflect upon how difficult and high the price of freedom is, you would realize that an act of granstanding anti-Americanism is neither courageous nor difficult.

On behalf of this Gulf War I Veteran, my father (Vietnam), my grandfather (WWII), my great-great grandfather (War Between the States), and his great grandfather (American Revolution), I hold you, your staff, and Ms. Smith in complete and utter comtempt.

Respectfully,
ET1(SW) XXXXXXX X. XXXXXXXX (USN)"

[Protagoras]

Be man enough to respond as to where I said she had no right to voice her opinion.....

Not possible, I never said you did.

[dfwgator]

...according to her profile she's a lobster-eating sociology major, whose favorite movie is Days of Thunder.

How many birds were killed and how much air pollution was generated to make that movie?

[Protagoras]

As best I can tell, she has been unmolested for her views.

I never said she had been molested. Only that some people here were advocating that, which I opined made the conservatives look like bozos.

I think she should be booted from the team for intimidating people of color in the military and fostering an atmosphere of hate.

Take it up with the school or the coach. I disagree with her display, I would have booed her too.

[ffusco]

Good for you!

[biblewonk]

Hmmm, very unbiblical.

So is women voting.

[Protagoras]

So is women voting.

Now that you brought that up, should we let the "bitches" vote?

[never4get]

Then I have no idea what you mean by this when responding to the letter I sent to Dear Richard at the college....

"Which is apparently good,,,As long as she doesn't dare voice them."

America can not(and hopefully never will) take away her right to speak her opinion and even to turn her back on the flag but there is nothing courageous about it although some at this time debate such. In any case, she is childish and hypocritical as she derives every possible benefit she can from the country she symbolically turns her back on during the anthem. If she is upset with the present administration then what the hell does she accomplish by turning her back on this nation, that which the flag represents. If she is just upset with the country as a whole then do something about it, turning your back on the flag/country which affords you that opportunity is plain stupid....What an ignorant child. My eleven year old has more understanding then that. It concerns me that her actions speak it is all right to turn your back on and disrespect the country every time you disagree with someone else's politics. If that was the case then when Clinton was in office I would have burned my flag. Maybe in my wisdom I remembered while I did not like the message of Clinton I did not condemn the country for allowing that idiot to become president.

[Protagoras]

People on this thread have advocated violence against her, my point was to them. I would never question your wisdom.

If she is upset with the present administration then what the hell does she accomplish by turning her back on this nation, that which the flag represents.

Plenty, she got what she wanted, attention to her ideas. This whole thread is dedicated to her, it's her pitiful 15 minutes. And all you folks gave it to her. She should have been booed and forgotten about.

The president of the college gave her a shot at her fifteen minutes, and you fell for it.

Pretty wise.

[never4get]

She may have gotten her "15 minutes of fame" but the only message she relayed to me, and I suspect millions of other Americans, was how hypocritical and pathetic she is....I for one have no idea what she is attempting to "protest" and absent my irritation per her act, and my great joy in belittling the President of the college for saying it was courageous, I really do not care...........Although, I have to admit it would be interesting to know if all this stems from her being one of those Bush haters which I suspect she is. You are correct, time to move on...the show is over.

[formercalifornian]

Done. Thanks for the e-mail address.

[ez]

I wish a meeting could be set up between Toni and the Iraqi exiles Wolfowitz addressed recently.

[rimmont]

Pretty ugly.

[Dr._Joseph_Warren]

>>She's as wrong as rain but I would defend her right to do it.

>And I will defend the right of the crowd to boo, hiss, turn their backs on her and even pull her scholarship.

She has a right to turn her back, but that doesn't make her right.

You have a right to boo her, but that doesn't make you right either.

I don't agree with her, but I do think it takes courage to do what she did.

I'm disappointed that the response seems to be jeering her, mocking her appearance (as if all of US are beautiful!), wanting to take away her scholoarship, etc.

I think the best response would be to sing the National Anthem just that much louder and longer with joy in our heart that we are on the correct side.

Turning on the hatred, regardless of how justifiable, never changes peoples minds.

[Reagan is King]

Part of this is true, of course. The university faculty and administration who spread this treason are the former pinko, hippy, leftist, draft-dodging, 60s dopers who burned the flag during Vietnam and who are now running our universities.

Exactly what I was thinking. That's why the administration thinks it's "courageous", because deep down many of them probably agree with her but don't have the guts to take the ridicule.

[Erasmus]

The little brain washed commie in training said

The technical term is Commie Undergoing Neurolinguistical Training.

[Michael2001]

Well she can always move to Iraq

[ffusco]

Dear Richard,

I find nothing courageous or difficult in disrespecting our nation. Ms. Smith's behavior is a smack in the face of true heros: our brave soldiers, who have left their homes and families and have chosen a difficult and courageous task. People who make tough decisions, people who sacrifice so that WE don't have to. Ms. Smith is just a spoiled BRAT by comparison.


You would think an "educator" like yourself would know the difference, but you'd be wrong.


When I was in school, we protested against Apartheid, not our Flag. But that was back when activism meant fighting tyranny and not supporting the Marxist anti-war crowd.


You will probably never know how many students and their parents have chosen not to attend your school in the future. Best of luck in your next private sector job.


Frank Fusco