An unknown individual or group of individuals may have stifled free speech and political discussion this past weekend by removing an American flag hanging from the Bender parking garage. The flag had been hung upside down by staff members of AU’s American Way of Life magazine. According to AWOL’s Web site, the publication wanted to show support for Americans facing hardship. The Web site quotes from United States Flag Code, which states, “The flag should never be displayed with the Union down, except as a signal of dire distress...” AWOL believes this signal is appropriate. “It is a time of dire distress,” according to the site.
Regardless of AWOL’s politics or its take on the state of this country, the publication should be commended for trying to ignite political and cultural discussions on campus. The intent of the flag display was to attract attention and get people talking — and there is nothing wrong with that.
Stifling harmless expression is anti-American. Remember, “Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech.” Neither should AU. The official campus freedom of expression guidelines state that “American University values and defends the right of free speech.” That certainly includes the right to hang a flag in a way that denotes national distress, if an individual or group deems the nation to be in that state. It could also be argued that tearing down that flag is a form of free speech. But the freedom of expression guidelines specify that anyone exercising freedom of expression “must not deny the same rights to any other individual.” By taking down AWOL’s display, an individual or a group has denied the magazine its right to expression — and for no good reason.
Free speech should have some limits. Screaming “fire” in a theater creates chaos and prank calling 911 is dangerous. But AU’s freedom of expression guidelines state that “protest or demonstration shall not be discouraged so long as neither force nor the threat of force is used, and so long as the orderly processes of the university are not deliberately obstructed.” This last point is the crucial one. This flag display was provocative, but it wasn’t hurting anyone, so it shouldn’t have been touched.
AU should be encouraging political speech. AU can never have too much. What this campus needs is a revival of the activist spirit. There should be more political displays, not fewer. AWOL’s flag should go back up. And if people disagree with their message, they should put up a display of their own. Anything that gets people talking is good for this campus and this country.
