Silent But Strong: Toni Smith's flag protest is a refreshing display of courage rarely seen

CollegeSports.com ^ | 03/01/2003 | Postaledde

[postaledde]

Manhattanville College basketball player Toni Smith has been drawing unusually large crowds to Division III women's basketball games lately. Five hundred fans packed the gym for a road game at Mount St. Mary's. More than 300 showed up to see her at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

But they're not there to be dazzled by her skills on the court or to watch a big conference game as the regular season wears down. Nor are they there to cheer on the home team. They show up to heckle Smith because she has the courage to stand up for what she believes in.

Smith has been silently protesting American policy throughout the season at Manhattanville basketball games. When the national anthem is played before games, Smith turns her back to the American flag because, in her words, "the government's priorities are not on bettering the quality of life for all its people, but rather on expanding its own power."

[postaledde]

I have a real problem with this Toni Smith from Manhattenville College.The college is condoning her protesting the flag before every game. I feel that I she is going to turn her back on MY FLAG then she should also turn her nose up at all of the freedoms that are granted through it. Service members sacrafice thier lives and thier families sacrafice thier time with them so that some @#&%&%#@ can turn her back on it. If she would like to protest the war then I would be willing to give her a one way ticket to operation human shield. That way she can turn her back on the bombs that land around her.

[dvwjr]

Why not have her stay in the locker-room until the National Anthem is completed, and then she comes onto the floor with the rest of the team. She avoids the Flag, and everyone else avoids her immature behavior...

Of course, she looses the publicity.

dvwjr

[Freedom4US]

You know, what really steams me is when people start talking about how much "courage" it takes for her to do this. A proper definition of her actions encompasses many things, none of them very good, however courage ain't part of the recipe.

[DuncanWaring]

...she has the courage to stand up for what she believes in.

Big Deal.

Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot and Mao stood up for what they believed in, too.

[PackerBoy]

They show up to heckle Smith because she has the courage to stand up for what she believes in.

There is nothing courageous or heroic about what she is doing. She is a brash, ignorant kid trying to grab some limelight.

Do you suppose she is a real student, who has taken the time to study extensively about Middle Eastern history? Nope. She is just following the bleating herd of uniformed sheeple, who buy into every 20-word sound bite the Hollywood Leftists spew.

Someday soon she will be the featured commencement speaker at Berkley.

[annyokie]

Hmm, Sociology major. Yeah, that takes b*lls.

[SierraWasp]

"the government's priorities are not on bettering the quality of life for all its people..."

Another skull full of mush, corrupted by our government schools, infested with socialist teachers that believe nothing matters but equal misery for all, the world over!!!

The school should have taken a field trip to Afghanistan while still under the Taliban regime. Girls don't get to play much of anything there, until now.

The CBS evening news just glorified this insulting behavior as a shining example of a courageous young woman exercising her "freedom of expression," tonight. It's enough to gag a maggot!!!

[Blunderfromdownunder]

HOld on a sec - this chick is protesting expanding government power and Freepers are hassling her...?

[Steve Eisenberg]

You know, what really steams me is when people start talking about how much "courage" it takes for her to do this.

Yea. Why is it that when I post something stupid on FR, and people get all over me, no one follows up by saying how courageous I am ;-)

[Steve Eisenberg]

John Derbyshire's take:

One young lady, name of Toni Smith, finds the flag offensive to her eyes, and refuses to honor it. She stands in line with the other girls, but facing sideways through the ceremony. Asked to explain herself, Ms. Smith extruded the following: "For some time now, the inequalities that are embedded into the American system have bothered me." Then: "It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the military has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber." I know, a lot of people are angry about Toni. Me, I can't help but smile in fond recollection. What I am recollecting is myself as a sixth-former (= high-school senior) back in England. In those distant days, it was the custom at all English movie theaters for the national anthem to be played at the end of every show. You were supposed to stand there reverently while it was played, then make your way out of the theater. A lot of people did just that. Another group finessed the issue by hastening out in a rather unseemly way just before the end of the movie. The youthful Derb and his pals, though, bold fearless rebels all, used to remain ostentatiously seated while the anthem was played. The inequalities that were embedded in the British system bothered us, you see. We looked forward to that great day when our schools would get all the money they needed and the military would have to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber. (We really did: That old chestnut has been around almost as long as I have.) Yes, yes, I know Toni Smith is kind of deplorable. Let's remember, however, that she is also a silly, smug, vain, ignorant kid, who has a lot of growing up to do. As we all were once.

[SierraWasp]

Wrong! She's protesting (supposedly) government's "prioities!" She's been in training to join the "Food Not Bombs" jokers that demonstrate for their Commonist Cause in San Franpsycho at every opportunity.

I'd say you're living up to your scream name, Mr. Blunder. Don't be jumpin us patriotic FReepers or we'll tie yer Kangeroo downunder.(grin)

[Jesse]

Dittos...

The flag does not grant us freedom. The flag does not represent the federal government. It is a symbol of the United States of America. Not the government.

But a lot of people think that the flag represents the federal government, including on this board. I do not agree with that view, but since there is no good symbol of the federal government to protest, I guess the flag suffices for some. Interesting how so many here feel free to criticize the government but condemn this girl for doing the same thing.

I love my country, but right now, I do not love my government...George Bush not withstanding. We have a government run by predatory, greedy, power mongering fools, for the most part. The GOP, having promised term limits, reduced regulations, fewer subsidies, an end to such anachronisms as the NEA, Dept of Educuation, etc. has reneged on its promises and voted for such abomimations as the Patriot act.

You go, girl.

[rimmont]

Based on her rantings, it's obvious she's nothing special. Just another turdhead leftist.

[dpa5923]

Courage would be pulling this in Iraq to the Iraqi flag as an Iraqi citizen or Cuba or North Korea. It takes no courage to enjoy the blessings of liberty others have secured.

[Steve Eisenberg]

since there is no good symbol of the federal government to protest, I guess the flag suffices for some. Interesting how so many here feel free to criticize the government but condemn this girl for doing the same thing. . . . The GOP, having promised term limits, reduced regulations, fewer subsidies, an end to such anachronisms as the NEA, Dept of Educuation, etc. has reneged on its promises and voted for such abomimations as the Patriot act.

The flag, as a symbol, has a rather diffuse meaning. But disrespect for the flag, now, that has a much more clear meaning. When someone disrespects the flag, no one with any common sense will consider it a protest against anything Jesse dislikes. Just the opposite! Flag disrespectors love the NEA, and everyone who knows what those initials stand for knows it.

[PackerBoy]

I love my country, but right now, I do not love my government...George Bush not withstanding. We have a government run by predatory, greedy, power mongering fools, for the most part. The GOP, having promised term limits, reduced regulations, fewer subsidies, an end to such anachronisms as the NEA, Dept of Educuation, etc. has reneged on its promises and voted for such abomimations as the Patriot act.

I am not wild about everything that our federal government has done in the last 2+ years, but I do not recall all of the "promises" you mention being made by anyone for whom we could vote. Could you cite your source(s), please?

[observer5]

Silent But Strong: Toni Smith's flag protest is a refreshing display of stupidity rarely seen

[Pontiac]

"While Ms. Smith is expressing her personal views and not necessarily those of the college, the First Amendment guarantees her right to do so. This is particularly true at Manhattanville College, where our mission is to 'educate ethically and socially responsible leaders for the global community.'

Actually I do not believe this is true on the basketball court. On the court she is a representative of the college and the college therefor is with in its rights to muzzle her.

Asked to explain herself, Ms. Smith extruded the following: "For some time now, the inequalities that are embedded into the American system have bothered me."

The inequalities that Ms. Smith says are embedded into the American system are what make America great.

What Ms. Smith wants is equal outcomes what America offers are equal rights and equal opportunity to become whatever you can make of yourself. Given my choice I will take America, as it is as opposed to America as Ms. Smith wishes it to be.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

...Smith turns her back to the American flag because, in her words, "the government's priorities are not on bettering the quality of life for all its people, but rather on expanding its own power."...

There's plenty of Freepers who'd agree with that observation, but since when is disrespecting the flag an acceptable method of protest?

[Texas Eagle]

Courage my ***.

Let's see Toni Smith go to Iraq and turn her back on a billboard of Saddam Hussein.

I'll buy her the plane ticket.