Toni Smith

[Dan_ref]

http://www.collegesports.com/sports/...022203aar.html
Player's Flag Protest Drawing Strong Reactions

Manhattanville's Toni Smith is greeted by boos when she turns her back on the American flag in protest at games.



Feb 22, 2003


NEWBURGH, N.Y. (AP) - 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."

[mick]

Gutsy.

[kenref1]

And to think that our grandfathers fought and some died for her freedom.........pretty shelfish of her.

[Back In The Saddle]

I like her. She reminds me of when I was young and stupid!

[JRutledge]

When we live in a country that allows or supports the waving of an enemy flag for the purpose of heritage, than someone should be able to turn their back or disagree for the things that flag stands for.

Peace

[canuckrefguy]

kenref1,

If you truly believe in the values you Americans so fervently claim to hold true, you will acknowledge this young lady's right to protest, even if to watch her protest makes every fibre of your being cry out in rage.

What you now know as the United State of America was founded on a frontier spirit that placed great value on community, but ultimately cherished individual freedoms. It's that principle that powered your triumph over the British, and every triumph after that. It's a cornerstone of your Constitution. It's exactly what those revered War Veterans were fighting for.

If you are a true believer in freedom you will tolerate someone who shouts, at the top of her lungs, something that you would devote a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.

This does not diminish your right to oppose her views. But you cannot invalidate them any more than she can do so to you.

Part of being American (and Canadian, for that matter) is recognizing that things which infuriate you are as much a part of freedom as things that inspire you.

[Jurassic Referee]

Excellent post,Canuckrefguy!

[NC_rec_ref]

Do I agree with Ms. Smith's position? NO!
Do I believe that she has the right as an American citizen?
YES!
Does it #$^#& me off immensely to see this happen? YES!
Does she have the right to do this peacefully? Again YES!

As much as I hate to see her do it (and if I were in a position to tell her so, I would counsel her in as strong a language as I could to change her position), men and women have fought, been wounded, and died fighting for this freedom of expression.

Whether you agree or not with her position (again NO I DON'T), she has the right to do it peacefully.

But dang it, it still ticks me off personally.

BTW-don't you know her high school civics class is having a real-time case study on the Bill of Rights....

-C

[fletch_irwin_m]

Protests such as this are a real Catch - 22. She is turning her back on the one symbol IN THE WORLD that allows her to turn her back. Her statement is a well written VAGUE statement of purpose. What exact inequalities she does not say. She is one of the most free women in the world and the symbol she turns her back on is the reason why. I will not bore you with what other countries do, but what she is doing, while perfectly legal and right, is being handled totally inappropriately.
If she does not want to salute the flag, she has EVERY right to, no matter how many people it pisses off. BUT, where is the respect of others that she asks for herself? Why not just stay in the locker room until the National Anthem is over? You have your protest, you make your point, you still get booed, but at least you are RESPECTFUL. Finally, she states that she did not "want" this publicity. I think her actions, and statement, show that is NOT the case.
Where is the soap box gif? I am getting off mine now!!

[Larks]

Originally posted by JRutledge
When we live in a country that allows or supports the waving of an enemy flag for the purpose of heritage, than someone should be able to turn their back or disagree for the things that flag stands for.

Peace

I think its a slap in the face myself. People who protest our flag should move to IRAQ or North Korea for a week to see how bad it is and then move back. Maybe then they would appreciate the FREEDOM the flag stands for. I have no argument with you if you disagree with the actions of our government but you should at least respect the flag.

I'd throw in a "if you dont like it here get the hell out" but I'm sure that would stir up some controversy.

Eh, heck with it...Bring it on.....Toni....if you dont like it here, take your disrespect and disdain for our country and go somewhere else.....France comes to mind.

[Adam]

First of all, this is not a first-ammendment issue. No one is claiming she should go to jail for her behavior. Similarly, just as she has the right to pull this stupid stunt, the students opposed to her have every right to protest it as loudly as legally is allowed. Something about the goose and the gander....
Secondly, she's protesting the wrong thing. The flag is the very symbol of the freedom that allows her to protest. She frankly makes herself look juvinile.
I dare her to try such a protest in any corner of the Axis of Evil. Guaranteed she'd get a lot worse than chants from the Merchant Marine cadets. Contrary to what her pandering college president may have said, her protest doesn't take courage or guts. Guts is going to Iraq and turning your back on Hussein's portrait or the Iraqi flag. It does, however, take collossal ignorance.
Finally, I liked Geno Auriemma's comments. If she were one of his players, she'd be off the team and her scholarship would be revoked. She's representing her college, and apparently she's representing her college president pretty well.

Now, I'll go back to defending her right to be stupid.

Adam
SSGT, Iowa Air National Guard

[PAULK1]

Why is it the people who will never fight for this right want to express it the most.

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by Larks


I think its a slap in the face myself. People who protest our flag should move to IRAQ or North Korea for a week to see how bad it is and then move back. Maybe then they would appreciate the FREEDOM the flag stands for. I have no argument with you if you disagree with the actions of our government but you should at least respect the flag.

Larks,

Most people do not know what that is or even get upset when the flag is displayed or shown improperly. Please do not tell me what is disrespectful when I was a JROTC Color Guard and had to put a flag up on a poll on a daily basis and bring it down every evening. Interesting that you claim she disrespected the flag but said nothing about the man that dragged the flag over the floor to protest her position. His actions were much more disrespectful than anything Toni did to the flag. But then again, it shows how uneducated people that tell others to move to another country do not know what should be done to that fabric we call a "symbol of our country."

Peace

[JRutledge]

Originally posted by PAULK1
Why is it the people who will never fight for this right want to express it the most.

You are telling me that you have to fight for this country to express decent? What kind of logic is that? Why don't the people that are so fired up to go to war send their children or sign up themselves? I do not see the folks who are actually making this decision being the first in line to go to Baghdad. When I see your children go I will then believe in your true committement that you claim others should have. Most of the people in the military now are there to go to school, not go to war. That is the reason they joined in many cases. That is why we have so many folks from certain backgrounds disportionate to what the actual makeup of this country is. When I see the Eron's children on the front lines, I will then by that philosophy.

Hell our President was sheilded from serving directly in harms way. But he has the nerve to send other folks children and husbands and wives to die for something his father would not allow his behind to do himself.

Peace

[Tee]

On a slightly related note, as an agnostic, I resent hearing one nation, under GOD... before games. What happened to separation of church and state? This word in this context seems an endorsment of religion, and that seems wrong. I would hope even if you are a christian, you would understand the principle.

I wish I had the courage to make a statement, but frankly, it does not seem worth it. I can only hope the current case before the Sepreme Court relating to the saying the pledge in school by a atheist student takes out this word. I have no problem pledging allegience to the flag, country etc, it's just the god part that bothers me.

As you may know, the word was inserted in 1954 in a knee jerk reaction to the "godless commies"

My only statement is to refrain from saying the word, and in truth, hearing the word will not stop me from doing the job- or sleeping at night-it's just the principle.

[Edited by Tee on Mar 2nd, 2003 at 02:43 AM]