Student asks: How do we show our true patriotism?

To the Editors:

I used to write women’s sports editorials for the Review, but during my time on staff, no story emerged like the one I am about to relate. I hope this tale will be of special interest to those who say they hate sports and sports culture.
At tiny Manhattanville College there is a senior sociology major named Toni Smith. Sociology majors tend to ask uncomfortable questions, questions that challenge many basic assumptions about the way we live and relate to one another. The question Smith asked was, “what does the American flag ask me to stand for?” After much reflection she came to the conclusion that it asked her to be a party to a number of things she couldn’t abide — systemic inequality, the oppression and extinction of native peoples, and the first war of the new century. But like many students who want to connect theory to praxis, Smith was not content to sit idly in her belief that the flag represents untenable things. She wanted to quietly, respectfully make it known that she would not be a participant in such a system. Smith, a starter on the basketball team, held hands with her teammates during the national anthem, and turned in the other direction. She faced away from the flag. No fuss, no drama. Just a moment of thoughtful resistance before going back to everyday life.
I could dwell here on the negative consequences of the story. Manhattanville has been swamped with media. An ESPN.com poll indicates that only a quarter of those polled, many ignorant of the facts of the case, agree with Smith’s decision. Some even believe she should not be allowed to play. A man waving a flag ran onto the court and accosted her during one pregame ceremony. But this is predictable. Americans have rarely been able to tell the difference between support for the values of one’s country and support for its policies. What continues to be unpredictable is the response of courageous Americans dedicated to protecting a real value of the Constitution—freedom of conscience. One young woman, part of a sports culture that is an easy mark for ignorant sentiments, is using that culture to express her deepest ethical impulses. The power inherent in this public act could change the world. If even one person in the stands is brought to think about how his or her place in the system has wider consequences, it already has.

—Jessica Rosenberg
College senior