Posted on 10/04/2016 11:14:37 AM PDT by Altura Ct.
To say the East Carolina University Marching Band struck a wrong chord with fans would be an understatement.
Furious North Carolina football fans booed the band after several members refused to play the National Anthem – while others took a knee.
East Carolina’s blatant disrespect of the Star-Spangled Banner happened Oct. 1st at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
Local reports indicate about a dozen members of the Marching Pirates disgraced themselves on the football field.
At halftime – outraged fans got to have their say.
The stadium was filled with booing as the band prepared to perform its halftime show.
“I am ashamed of this school for letting the band do this,” one irate reader posted on the university’s Facebook page. “Shame ECU, shame!”
“What are you teaching these kids,” one parent asked. “I believe the students have the right to protest but not on that field in uniform.”
And another reader offered this suggestion: “What if those of us who write checks to the university stop sending them as our way of using our voice?”
If the children have a First Amendment right to desecrate our national anthem, certainly the American taxpayers have rights to not fund their anti-American horseplay.
ECU Chancellor Cecil Staton released a statement defending the marching band’s disgraceful actions. Mike Shanahan Interview
“While we acknowledge and understand the disappointment felt by many Pirate fans in response to the events at the beginning of today’s football game, we urge all Pirate students, supporters and participants to act with respect for each other’s views,” the chancellor wrote.
He also affirmed “the rights of our students, staff and faculty to express their personal views.”
Oh really?
So what would have happened if the marching band had formed the words “All Lives Matter” on the football field? Or “Make America Great Again”? Would that have been permissible?
It’s doubtful.
“Civil discourse is an East Carolina value and part of our ECU creed,” he wrote. “We are proud that recent campus conversations on difficult issues have been constructive, meaningful exchanges that helped grow new understanding among our campus community.”
What about disrespecting Old glory and the national anthem and our brave military personnel? Is that part of ECU’s values and creed?
Kiernan Shanahan, a Raleigh attorney and member of the ECU board of trustees, told me he was shocked and appalled.
“The strong boos from the crowd when they realized what was happening certainly echoed the sentiment of the board,” Mr. Shanahan told me. “It was unfortunate and poor judgement for these few band members to disrespect our country, to take advantage of the uniforms they were wearing as ECU Pirate band members – to advance a personal agenda.”
It’s just too bad the chancellor’s statement did not reflect the outrage from most of the community.
“We foster and encourage free speech but that has to be tempered by time, place and circumstances,” Mr. Shanahan said. “It was not the right time, place and (it was) the incorrect manner for these students to articulate personal dissent. It reflected poorly on the band.”
I feel bad for the folks there in the Carolinas because their taxpayer-funded university has been infested with a bunch of left-wing educators spewing this nonsense. Here's a list of email addresses for the university's board of trustees.
Perhaps one of the grownups in charge could muster the courage to tell the marching band to take its anti-American propaganda and blow it out their woodwinds.
ECU has grown in recent decades, in student body as well as in academic reputation, but it’s still a 2nd tier school with a large number of first-generation college students. Neither they nor their parents will appreciate this at all. The same is true of ECU alumni. They’re creating a big problem for themselves and their future funding, merely for jumping on a social issue bandwagon. If a band member won’t perform the national anthem, they shouldn’t take the field. Sit it out, out of the public eye. That’s what it’s all about anyway.
The Hippies have won—BUT—Worry not— when the next big war comes you will be surprised how patriotic Americans will become—even Liberals. The problems we are having is about power—Note much will stop after November 8th. The paychecks for the demonstrationists will stop coming.
A real solution to this kinda crap is for alums to stop donating. Period. Let the jerks and their professors and administrators find other schools, other jobs. But we know they would likely just go on welfare if that happened. Losers, all of them.
They do listen to the alumni. You don’t even have to be a current donor, all you have to do is remind them that the school in question will no longer receive a bequest in your will. You do, however, have to communicate the fact loudly and to the right people - most universities have a department of alumni affairs, which is a good place to start.
Booing doesn’t cut it folks. If you are truly bothered by this disrepect then do not show up at the next home game. College Football is a money racket just like the Pros so you don’t show up the powers that be notice. You boo, they could not care less.
“In my opinion, the only way to protest these protests in via the wallet.”
No, not the only way.
These individuals did get their message out. Now everyone knows what cretins they are. I say put their pictures on every social media forum available and when their perspective employer looks for them, their character will be exposed.
The first amendment protects us from government interference in expressive freedoms. It says nothing about private institution reaction.
The NFL and school football games and associated drama are not representing federal government entities. They are in fact, forms of entertainment. The fans pay their way and the fans should whack these a$$holes with every sanction they can muster.
The snowflakes are certainly free to be jerks on their own time.
You must be a Tarheel. :>) ECU is my alma mater. It has become infested with liberal dolts as they have grown. Very disappointed.
I’m an NC native, yes.
“ECU has grown in recent decades, in student body as well as in academic reputation, but it’s still a 2nd tier school”
To be honest, and I say this as someone who has uncles and cousins who are ECU alumni, it is a 4th or 5th tier school.
I was trying to be kind and avoid the old “flunk out party school” description. Depending upon course of study, ECU can be a decent school for a dedicated student.
While I appreciate the apology, was that letter actually written by someone representing an institution of higher learning? Does ECU have an English department?
What you do outside of school and out of uniform is one thing but if you’re representing the school and especially in uniform, you darned well better behave and act accordingly. If I were the director, they’d be thrown out of class with a big fat Failure or Incomplete on their transcript. No more scholarships, either.
The Dean of Students should have placed them all on probation if not expulsion.
“If a band member won’t perform the national anthem, they shouldn’t take the field.”
At many universities, members of the marching band are on scholarship, like athletes. If they refuse to perform the scheduled program, they should have their scholarships revoked.
“Depending upon course of study, ECU can be a decent school for a dedicated student.”
I agree.
I always understood that as Lennon because it fits better with the other cultural references in the song (including "the quartet" being the Beatles.)
Being within an hour of the beach doesn’t help with the dedication part, lol, but it’s somewhat better in that regard than UNCW.
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.