IRVINE, CA – A ban of the American flag in a California college’s lobby has sparked outrage across the country, even as the school works feverishly to clean up the public relations nightmare.
Last week, six undergraduate members of the University of California-Irvine’s (UCI) student-government Legislative Council passed a bill that bans the display of all flags – including the American Flag – in the common lobby area of the student government offices.
Over the weekend, members of the executive cabinet of the Associated Students of UC Irvine met Saturday in an emergency session to reverse the flag ban.
The UCI administration said in a statement that “this misguided decision was not endorsed or supported in any way by the campus leadership, the University of California, or the broader student body. The views of a handful of students passing a resolution do not represent the opinions of the nearly 30,000 students on this campus, and have no influence on the policies and practices of the university.”
In an explanation from UCI Chancellor Howard Gillman:
When tens of thousands of young people are brought together and encouraged to explore new ideas, it is inevitable that small numbers of them are, on occasion, going to express views that are unconventional and even outrageous.
A few days ago, on a campus of more than 30,000 students, six of them expressed the view that no flags — not the American flag, and also not the flag of any other nation — should be displayed in a very small interior lobby area of the offices of student government. If these students were acting in a private capacity and expressing personal views then there would be no reason to pay attention. But these six students were acting in an official capacity, as members of a small sub-set of our student government known as Legislative Council, and it was outrageous and indefensible that they would question the appropriateness of displaying the American flag on this great campus.
The administration swiftly, strongly, and publicly denounced the action. Importantly, UCI students also immediately began to express their disappointment and outrage at the actions of these six students. Our elected student body president condemned the action, calling the decision “horrible” and “an attack on American values.” Those news organizations that sought a truthful account of the issue, and that interviewed UCI students, found one student after another saying that the views of these six did not represent the students at UCI.
As a formal expression of the true views of the UCI community, the Executive Cabinet of our student government has now vetoed this resolution, stating that they “fundamentally disagree with the actions taken by the ASUCI Legislative Council” on this issue. I applaud this action.
I watched this video and it touched me of course with this song it always has.
http://jcluinspire.com/delta-airlines-baggage-handlers-honor-fallen-soldier-and-his-dog/?s=jclu
I want to apologize. My comments probably appear callous to patriotic people reading. my intention is not to offend, but rather personally emancipate and explore different options. my intention is also to expand minds by pondering the reality that other countries do exist, and billions of people live in them. so clearly God does not forsake or damn them, so nationalism must be a gang or club mentality
nice try but your apology makes as much sense as your original statement. You live in the United States, our flag is our banner that needs to be flown high every where. If you want to fly your own flag thats fine but it has to be UNDER our flag and if you don’t like our flag then fly your own or LEAVE.
How do you know the United States exists but in the minds of a few people who believe it to? The secret is it really doesn’t exist. You just haven’t realized that yet. Nationalism is mass hypnosis.
I’m sorry again Maybe, as it appears by my statements that I believe other countries to exist but singled out the United States to not exist. Ultimately none of the nations exist. They are figments of people’s imaginations; inflicted realities. The earth exists irrespective of the minds of men; that is the ultimate truth. Without men carrying guns and papers, and without little pieces of cloth flying in the wind, you have the reality of soil, water, wind, plant, and flesh.
Read up on this….a group of 6 students, who were part of a legislative council of 10 students, voted to ban all flags from the hallway. Dumb, I agree. But, college students sometimes do dumb things. Look at any generation. This decision was then rejected by the council’s board of directors. It was never enacted. Hopefully, the students learn from this. Don’t indict an entire campus for the actions of 6 of the 30,000 students at Cal-Irvine.
what should the students learn? That nations are forced ideologies of cultish feverism? That pledging allegiance to a flag is a forced accident of birth? That one nation is better than all other nations? These are outdated concepts. The 6 had it right.
What would you know about college? You couldn’t even finish high school. You have no life experiences at all, but you know everything about everything. You’ve lived your adult life in a basement. And now you think you have a major career because you work at a 7-11. You’re so stupid, that you thought the movie Clerks was a documentary. You are nothing but a narcissistic, idiotic know it all who knows nothing. Quite frankly Peter, you are just a nauseating loser.
@bodacious-I heard on the news that they are going to try to overturn the veto tonight. If they do I hope they deny their funding.
The full student senate is voting on it today and according to every source I can find, “it’s highly unlikely that the vote by the executive council will be overturned”
What’s the big deal? Nations are cults. Nationalism is a disease. Colors are just colors. Gang colors are banned in many places. The bigger picture is a world without flags. I agree…take the colors down. Focus on things that matter…like sciences, humanism, renewable energy, egalitarianism, biotecture, development of what’s left of this planet in the smartest, fairest way. The United States oppresses its own people. Tear down the wall.
What are these students, commies or terrorists. They should be tarred and feathered and rode off campus on a rail. Ungrateful POS.
This is a state school that also gets federal funding. Cut off their funding if they are ashamed of our country. It is really scary thinking that these kids are going to be in charge some day. A whole damn country full of idiot Philosopus’s.
That’s right LVS. We are taking over. You better learn to make concessions, or you just might get driven out yourself.
“WE”?? To quote my grandma, “WE??? Do you have a turd in your pocket?”
@Philly-You are not man enough drive me out of anything. Any time you want to try just bring it on. But, being the coward and liar that you are it will never happen.
@LVS…Its odd when someone says “We are taking over.” Especially since they can’t even take care of themselves. Just consider the source for what it is and not what they think they are.