The Battalion
OPINION
Friday, June 15,1990
Opinion Page Editor Damon Arhqs
Supreme Court justified in striking flag-burning lav
In response to Damon Arhos’ column
on the issue of flag burning, I’m afraid I
have to disagree. Arhos is certainly not
an unintelligent person. I actually
agreed with most of the statements that
the article contained. Yet, it seems that
Arhos is simply not stepping back and
taking a broad look at exactly what the
issue is.
Admittedly, it is a hard issue to look
at objectively. The American flag
burning on the steps of Congress is the
same one that Lincoln fought to
preserve, the same one that flew during
both world wars and the flag posted by
the first men to reach the moon.
However, in all these cases, the flag was
a symbol, as Arhos states in his column,
Kevin
Robinson
Reader’s Opinion
and tne battles and wars were not for
the flag but for the ideals it represented.
The emotional value of a symbol should
not take precedence over those ideals it
stands for.
The big question, as Arhos puts it, is
whether or not flag burning should be
protected by the First Amendment.
Certainly I will agree that it is not
specifically stated and that the founding
fathers did not intend this when the Bill
of Rights was drafted. However, the
reason that the Bill of Rights has
withstood the test of time is because it
was written ambiguously, but with
strong central themes. This allows it to
be interpreted by the current members
of the judicial branch to reflect modern
attitudes.
This was obviously the intention of
the Supreme Court in their protection
of flag burning as a means of
expression. Flag burning, though it may
incite strong emotions, is a victimless
crime. It harms no one and is merely a
means of political expression. Arhos
writes, “The act of burning it (the flag)
only reinforces the idea that we have no
respect for or faith in our nation and its
people.” This, of course, is usually
exactly the message the flag burner is
trying to convey; a sense of
disillusionment with the United States,
its policies and its people.
The reason that protestors burn the
flag is because it is such a powerful
image. A group that is protesting has a
much better chance of both getting
media exposure and raising public
consciousness if it uses controversial
images. This is why anti-abortion forces
use pictures of bloody fetuses, and why
animal rights groups use their posters of
bludgeoned baby seals.
Nice, polite debate may be more
civilized and structured, but it rarely
makes the six o’clock news. The real
purpose of protesting is often not to
directly influence the lawmakers
themselves, but to make the public
aware of the situation. Looking to
American history, many people were
content under British colonial rule. It
required rebellious and shocking
protests such as the Boston Tea Party
and the Declaration of Independence,
designed by colonial radicals, to begin to
incite the American Revolution.
This was after the “polite” approach
of illegal pamphlets and meetings had
gotten little response. Incidentally,
some of those same radicals were the
drafters of the Constitution.
For those that love the flag, they must
ask themselves if they really love the
country and the liberties it stands for.
For one to be a true American, onek s
to allow freedom for all, regardlesst
differences of opinion. A flagisantik
thing to love. A rather amusingiteit j
the same issue of The Battalion was; |
group that is promoting “flagburial I
This further shows the way people :
confuse the flag as a political symbol
with the flag as the institution itself. I
Many politicians have discoveredi!
attachment and are using theflagas;
political rallying point for their
campaigns. However, a muchhardei
feat than loving the flag is toaccepii!
American ideal that includestolerar*
and protection for those whoseideai
outside the norm.
I definitely don’t agree withtheidt
of the Ku Klux Klan or the Americat
Nazi Party, but is it right for metoor. |
believe in the freedoms of America k
when they apply to my personalbclit |
and methods of expression? Thisisi
true challenge of love and respectfo:
the United States.
To begin to limit any kind ofa
harmless, expressive act, guaranteed
in the First Amendment, wouldbeto
undermine the freedom whichthefli I
itself symbolizes. Then, I ask myself, *
who is really desecrating the flag? |
Kevin Robinson is a junior English
major.
Mail Call
Non-students deserve emergency care
EDITOR:
My cousin and aunt were visiting last week when my aunt fell and broke
both of her arms near the A.P. Beutel Health Center. When she tried tore'
ceive medical attention, they refused her. She asked for at least something to
brace her arms with. They gave her a magazine! She asked for some ice to put
on the already swelling arms. They gave her a few cubes! She ended up find
ing a police officer who drove her to the hospital. This is ridiculous!! lam
sure they turned her away for insurance reasons, but without decent compas
sion. The staff in our health center should be benevolent by trade. The\
turned away an injured Aggie mom with little regard to her w r ell-being. (She
is now wearing two casts.)
How can the University deny medical attention to non-students that are
injured on campus knowing that thousands of people visit A&M? Something
must be done to offer medical attention to our visitors who need it!!!
History of Father’s Day traced by columnist
This Sunday will be the day I sit
outside with my dad, put the steak on
the grill, drink a few beers and discuss
recent news-making events from
around the world. What a day!
Can you imagine doing this with
mom? Well, some people can. But in my
case, I’ll reserve this type of activity for
my dad. (Not that my mother can’t
barbecue or discuss world events, but
she’d be out after the first two beers.)
I remember when I was in
elementary school and I’d spend the
Friday before Mother’s Day making
Mom a special gift with my own two
hands. I’d get home and immediately
she would praise me and display it on
the refrigerator. I was proud and so was
Mom.
A month later it was Father’s Day and
I wasn’t in school. That’s not fair. How
come Mom gets a handmade, heartfelt
gift and Dad doesn’t? Well, I didn’t have
to worry for long because Mom would
take me shopping and we’d buy him
cologne. Old Spice, of course. I felt
sorry for Dad because he always knew
what I’d gotten him. The whole idea, I
thought, was to be surprised. Sorry Dad,
no surprises.
Anyway, yesterday I decided to go to
the library and find out why we observe
Father’s Day. In 1909, Mrs. John Bruce
Dodd requested the Ministerial.Society
of Spokane, Washington to devote one
Sunday to the fathers of the community.
Rudy
Cordova Jr.
Columnist
So now I know why it occurs in the
summer and not during school. Mrs.
Dodd obviously didn’t have the children
in mind when she requested this special
day. (Or, maybe she didn’t have room
on her refrigerator for another artistic
creation.) Whatever the case, that’s the
earliest record we have of a day set aside
for fathers.
Then in 1924, President Calvin
Coolidge recommended that the third
Sunday of June be recognized as
National Observance Day for Fathers.
According to official words from the
White House, it was a day “to impress
upon fathers the full measure of their
obligation.”
I came to the conclusion that maybe
the reason Father’s Day is observed in
the summer is because dads really don’t
want anyone to make a big deal out of it.
It is safe to say, though, that Mother’s
Day challenges Christmas for cards and
flowers because that’s what mothers
want. They want us to make a big deal
out of it. Mother’s Day was introduced
for the honor and respect of
motherhood. So, in light of the fact that
they carried us for nine months, we give
them gifts.
So what did Dad do? Was he there
when I cried, or when I was hungry, or
when I had made a mess? My father
wasn’t there then. But he is now. He has
learned through the years what it takes
to be a father, and I’ve learned what it
takes to be a son. We have learned they
are both extremely tough jobs. (And yes
Mom, so is your job.)
It would have been so much easier if
the whole family had taken a course on
family living before we embarked on
this adventure. But of course, that
would have been the easy way out.
Maybe I shouldn’t complain. Some
people don’t have a family. I’m lucky to
still have mine.
I also read that the white or red rose
is the symbol of Father’s Day. I honestly
don’t know what my dad would do with
a dozen roses. It would be funny to
watch his reaction though. Ah well, no
surprises.
So on Sunday, Dad and I will sit
outside and discuss important issues
and maybe solve the world’s problems.
(That could only happen after a 12-
pack, though.) Hey, maybe our world
leaders should take heart. On second
thought ...
Rudy Cordova Jr. is a senior theatre
arts major.
Laura Tunches ’93
Two Live Crew banning is censorship
EDITOR:
Yesterday I went out and purchased a copy of the Two Live Crew cassette.
“Nasty as We Wanna Be,” not for the purpose of listening to the lyrics or the
funky beat of rap music. No, I went and bought the tape because pretty soon
it may not be available to the public thanks to federal and state judges that
have ruled it obscene and have had it banned from some record stores. Ijusl
had to have a symbol of the depletion of our First Amendment right to free
speech.
But at the same time as reforms are being made in the East, the goodol'
U.S. is now making a turn toward a leftist state by allowing censorship to take
place within the boundaries of our country. It begins with records and cas
settes and can move on to magazines, newspapers and books.
Wake up and smell the coffee, Ags. Once the foundation of the Bill of
Rights (the First Amendment) is cracked, it will never be the same again. And
exceptions to each amendment are going to be allowed as long as we the peo
pie allow it to occur. If the government starts with the freedom of speecli
clause of the First Amendment, who’s to say it is not going to filter down to
say, freedom of religion.
As long as citizens of the United States sit back and allow this constitu
tional violation to occur, the government is going to keep taking more and
more of our freedoms away. And if the Supreme Court does not rule the bans
on Two Live Crew albums unconstitutional, our country will be known as “the
home of the free (except for Two Live Crew.)”
Jeannk
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Monique Threadgill,
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Opinion Page Editor
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News Editors
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Eric Roalson, Art Director
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