A small liberal arts college in Massachusetts caused controversy after Veterans Day when students removed and burned an American flag. Responding to the incident, Hampshire College President Jonathan Lash announced that “we will not fly the U.S. flag or any other flags at Hampshire for the time being.” Lash has since announced that the flag will be restored. “This is a good start to essential and ongoing work for us all,” he said in an all-student email.
A Nov. 27 demonstration by local veterans and other supporters took place just outside the college to protest this decision and celebrate the American flag. At this event, a Gold Star mother took to the stage and delivered an impassioned speech.
“This flag is not about a president,” she said. “It is not about any one man. It’s got nothing to do with Obama. It’s got nothing to do with Trump. It’s got nothing to do with Bush. It’s got to do with the American people.”
Beverly Franklin of Middletown, R.I., whose son, Army Sgt. Michael Franklin, served two tours in Iraq, attended the protest because she believed the flag’s importance and meaning could not be overstated.
“These [students] taking down that flag; they don’t know what it means,” Franklin exclaimed. “Burning it, they don’t know what it means. A lot of people have shed their blood. A lot of people have lost a little bit of their soul going over there fighting for us. That flag needs to go back.”
Although a few students were in attendance at the protest when the speech was given, Franklin said she had a chance to talk to some students towards the end of the event.
“They were surprised that I felt that way as a black woman. I told them this flag is why I can have this conversation with them,” she later said. “They were surprised that I really believed that. I was flabbergasted that they didn’t know the history.”
Franklin told Heat Street that she doesn’t believe the flag represents a person or the presidency. “My son did two tours in Iraq, and we went over there to make a difference. It had nothing to do with the presidency; I didn’t care for the president.”
“When it was draped upon my son’s coffin and it was handed to me, you didn’t see me burn it because I knew why my son was there and I knew why he was fighting. It was for my freedom, it was for his kids’ freedom, it was so we could continue our way of life from people who were trying to take it away from us.”
“When that flag comes down,” she said in her speech, “that means another flag is going to go up.”
“What flag do you want to put up?” she asked repeatedly.
The demonstration was covered by Fox News and CNN, and garnered a lot of positive reactions.
Following the controversy, on the morning of Nov. 29, President-elect Donald Trump tweeted his own commentary on the controversy.
“Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag,” he wrote. “If they do, there must be consequences – perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!”
Trump’s comments drew strong reactions from all sides.
“I don’t believe citizenship should be taken away,” Franklin said, “but maybe there should be classes to teach the flag burners about the history. Maybe fines too, but no jail, and citizenship should not be taken away.”
“If we allow the college to do this,” Franklin said, “then more will.”
Even though the flag has been restored, the local community plans to voice their outrage once again if the college does not follow through in properly restoring the flag.
