College takes down American flag to appease students who think it’s “a symbol of racism and hatred”

[JamesL]

College takes down American flag to appease students who think it’s “a symbol of racism and hatred”
http://popularmilitary.com/college-takes-flag-appease-students-think-symbol-racism-hatred/

A liberal arts college in western Massachusetts has taken down the American flag on campus –leaving the flagpole bare until next semester –in hopes it will free up students to have a “direct, open, and respectful conversation.”

The flag at the center of Hampshire College is viewed by some as a symbol of racism and hatred and following the election and news of Donald Trump’s victory – many students called for its removal.

Before dawn on Veterans Day—the flag was burned. It was quickly replaced, but the College Board announced that the flag would be flown at half-staff, the Washington Post reported.

The decision to fly the flag at half-staff was made to “acknowledge the grief and pain experienced by so many and to enable the full complexity of voices and experiences to be heard.” But lowering it offended many, especially veterans and military families who saw it as disrespectful.

Friday, the decision was made to remove the flag entirely after other efforts to quell disruption on campus over the flag, failed.

There was apparently too much disagreement over the flag’s meaning. Some see it as a symbol of unity and pride, while others view it as a symbol of oppression.

Hampshire College President Jonathan Lash wrote: “By removing the flag, the college will seek to focus our efforts on addressing racist, misogynistic, Islamophobic, anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic, and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and behaviors.”

A spokesman for the college told the Boston Globe that some people view the flag as “a powerful symbol of fear they’ve felt all their lives because they grew up as people of color, never feeling safe.”

Earlier this month college leaders wrote a message to the community, saying the division and conflict that erupted after the election were felt “acutely and personally.” The message went on to say that, “On campus we have seen numerous expressions of pain, fear, anger, and vulnerability — understandable given news reports from across the country about acts of hostility and violence against people of color, immigrants, international citizens, and Muslims.”

However, Lash also noted that, “Some have perceived the action of lowering the flag as a commentary on the results of the presidential election — this, unequivocally, was not our intent.”

After outcry from veterans group, flag back where it belongs

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/12/0...-staff-president-denies-playing-politics.html

 

[Ricter]

After outcry from veterans group, flag back where it belongs

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/12/0...-staff-president-denies-playing-politics.html

The college chose to lower the flag, and then the college chose to raise it. So much choice... is that liberty?

 

[AAAintheBeltway]

The American university system is a relic whose time has come and gone. Pres. Trump could do the country a favor by putting a bullet in it via a total cut-off of federal funding for both loans and research. A little-appreciated aspect of the modern university is that professors are not there to teach but to grub for federal research grants. Of course this forces them to shade their research to the prevailing political winds, as seen most obviously in the laughable climate research.

Climate research is at least a potentially useful topic. Untold billions more are totally wasted on social science "research", which is usually just unsupportable leftwing victimology wrapped up in unintelligible academicspeak.

Todays universities are notable mainly for administrators who are paid like corporate CEO's, football and basketball coaches who are paid like hedge fund managers and pro athletes in training who seem to spend their free hours raping and beating up women. Actual students graduate with enough debt to have bought a nice house and a degree that qualifies them to be an Uber driver.

The actual education function can now be accomplished quite cheaply through online learning. The main campus activities, eg experimenting with sex and drugs and partying, can easily be outsourced as well.

 

[Ricter]

The American university system is a relic whose time has come and gone. Pres. Trump could do the country a favor by putting a bullet in it via a total cut-off of federal funding for both loans and research.

Our enemies can go first on that, Ann.