College Professor Cheers After Tricking Students Into Disrespecting American Flag
It often seems like disrespecting the American flag has become the new normal. First, it was dozens of players in the NFL who knelt during the national anthem and refused to respect the flag; now, it’s a college professor who turned an American flag into a doormat.
Broward College in Florida is hosting an art show from Jan. 25 to Feb. 21 of this year. According to BC’s website, this art show is supposed to be an “eclectic show,” with “painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, ceramics, sculpture, and multi-media installation.”
However, one piece of “artwork” is making headlines after students discovered exactly what it was.
“A professor at Broward College in Florida cut an American flag in half, painted it white, and laid it on the ground as a doormat for a school art display,” Campus Reform reported.
However, while the professor and other radical leftists may have thought this was a brilliant idea, one student, Marine Corps vet Jess Karcher, penned his disgust on Facebook.
“So it appears this is ok to do at central campus Broward College. This is a American Flag Painted white and cut in half and used as a door mat. From what I was told by school officials this is freedom of expression by one of their art professors at the schools Full time Faculty Exhibition going on Jan 25-Feb 21 and nothing can be done,” Karcher explained.
According to Karcher, most people didn’t even know that they were stepping on a flag, and were never told what they were stepping on.
He went on to write that someone was there with a camera taking pictures of students walking on the flag. The person taking the photos turned out to be none other than the professor who made the display, Lisa Rockford. As if that weren’t enough, Karcher said Rockford was laughing as she was taking the pictures.
Talk about disgusting.
Karcher decided to write to the college president and let him know exactly how appalled he was by the display. “I am sorry to have to write this letter to you, but I am a student at Broward College Central Campus and I am a disable [sic] Marine Corps veteran. I find this extremely disrespectful and kick in the gut as a veteran. I have lost many friends whose caskets were draped with that same flag,” he wrote.
Ouch.
After receiving some heat from social media and Campus Reform, Broward College issued a response. “Broward College understands that the piece, currently on exhibit, is controversial. The provocative nature of the piece is protected by the artist’s [c]onsitutional rights, specifically the First Amendment right to the Freedom of Speech. The piece represents the opinions of the individual artist and they are not indicative of the values at Broward College, the Rosemary Duffy Larson Gallery, or the other artists featured in the exhibition.”
In other words, they’re totally OK with this piece.
They continued, “Broward College supports the United States Constitution, the right to the Freedom of Speech, and the American Flag. The College has taken measures to ensure attendees of the exhibit know the art and opinions expressed are controversial and do not represent the institution’s values.”
Here’s one thing I’ve just learned about life: just because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you SHOULD do something. Writer G.K. Chesterton articulated this well when he said, “To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it.”
You may have a right to free speech, but that doesn’t mean you should pull off tasteless and disrespectful stunts like this.
Men and women have given their lives to protect this woman’s right to “free speech.” That flag was carried over the shores of Normandy, hoisted at Iwo Jima, and transported across the deserts of Iraq.
So, if you have a problem with the U.S., find another way to protest and leave the flag alone.
Please like and share this story on Facebook and Twitter and let us know what you think about this piece of “artwork.”
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