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"School-sponsored 9-11 Remembrance Day to exclude patriotic symbols and religious references By Steve Sexton
The "Star Spangled Banner" is too patriotic, divisive and political, so
organizers of UC Berkeley's day-long tribute to the victims and heroes of
9-11 are excluding it. "God Bless America" is doubly excluded. Not only is
it patriotic, but it also mentions God, something else that is taboo next
Wednesday.
The Sept. 11 Day of Remembrance, sponsored by the Chancellor's office, the
student body government and the Graduate Assembly, will also feature student
leaders distributing white ribbons, instead of the red, white and blue ones
they had originally planned.
"We thought that may be just too political, too patriotic," said Hazel Wong,
chief organizer for the Associated Students of the University of California
(ASUC). "We didn't want anything too centered on nationalism-anything that
is 'Go U.S.A.'"
Wong said the event organizers are "trying to steer away" from anything
political, and that, she said, includes singing the National Anthem and
displaying the red, white, and blue. She said they don't want politics
disrupting mourning and grieving.
"To hold a Sept. 11 memorial service devoid of patriotism is
counterintuitive," said Mark Engberg, a UC Berkeley freshman. "Holding a
service without patriotism is like holding a presidential debate without
mentioning politics. It doesn't work."
Jessica Quindel, president of the Graduate Assembly, a key player in the
planning, said the day's events are about more than just grieving. She said
the day is, in fact, about politics. And it's not just about Sept. 11, but
also the aftermath, including President Bush's response to the terrorist
attacks.
"We are trying to stay away from supporting Bush," Quindel said. "We don't
want to isolate people on this campus who disagree with the reaction to
Sept. 11."
Quindel, a self avowed hater of the American Flag, the federal government,
and the "Star Spangled Banner," said she is still patriotic. "It depends on
your definition of patriotism. Everyone has a different definition," she
said.
Patriotic songs may exclude and offend people, Quindel said, "because there
are so many people who don't agree with the songs." "God Bless America" is
"very exclusive" because it mentions God, she said. Though plans call for
four university music and song groups to perform at an evening vigil, not a
single patriotic song will be sung, at the behest of organizers. Instead,
songs of remembrance will be offered up.
Also, to prevent the exclusion of those who don't believe in the American
Flag, there will be no tribute to the flag. "The flag has become a symbol of
U.S. aggression towards other countries. It seems hostile," Quindel said.
Quindel will be one of two people selecting speakers for short speeches by
students during a noontime event on Memorial Glade. Students must
pre-register indicating the topic of the comments they wish to
make-classifying them into categories of mourning, religious and political.
That system doesn't wash with Robb McFadden, director of the California
College Republicans. "If Quindel and her Marxist comrades are selecting the
speakers, I think there are serious violations of fundamental fairness," he
said. "How can we expect freedom of speech to be filtered through such a
radical political ideologue?"
Scheduled speakers at the Memorial Glade assembly include Chancellor Robert
Berdahl, ASUC President Jesse Gabriel, and Quindel. They will likely speak,
according to Wong, about peace.
Those who aren't selected to speak by Quindel and her undergraduate
counterpart, Gabriel, will have an opportunity to speak at an open
microphone assembly in the evening. But if last year's open microphone
assembly on the night the attacks occurred is any guide, there will likely
not be an opportunity for patriotic speech Wednesday. At last Sept. 11's
vigil, members of the Berkeley College Republicans were shouted down while
speaking of patriotism.
The primary planner for Chancellor Berdahl, Colleen Rovetti, director of
university events and ceremonies, said she did not know avoiding patriotism
was an overriding objective of the student planners. She echoed remarks by
other organizers stressing their intent to make the event a memorial and not
a protest.
Gabriel said organizers aim to "separate political beliefs from mourning."
"Singing 'God Bless America' may prompt people to shout it down," he said.
Similar fears of aggression toward the flag prompted Berkeley's fire chief
to order American flags removed from fire trucks. City leaders worried
protesters would attack the flag and comprise firefighters' ability to do
their job. After national outcry, the flags were returned to the fire
trucks.
Members of the Berkeley College Republicans attended the student senate
meeting last night to urge their elected leaders to alter the plans for the
Sept. 11 memorial to include patriotic themes.
"If we leave patriotism and religion out of this event, we'd be reducing the
memorial to a bunch of anti-American whining, said Republican ASUC Senator
Paul LaFata. "Patriotism has a place on this campus, and by excluding it,
the ASUC has done exactly what they wanted to avoid. They have offended
students."
The Republicans were countered by those supporting the decision of the event
organizers. The decision's proponents argued that patriotism leads to
nationalism. They also said patriotism would exclude students who are not
American citizens.
Quindel said it would be inappropriate for the university to endorse
patriotic themes, and urged students to express their views at the open
microphone sessions."
"School-sponsored 9-11 Remembrance Day to exclude patriotic symbols and religious references By Steve Sexton
The "Star Spangled Banner" is too patriotic, divisive and political, so
organizers of UC Berkeley's day-long tribute to the victims and heroes of
9-11 are excluding it. "God Bless America" is doubly excluded. Not only is
it patriotic, but it also mentions God, something else that is taboo next
Wednesday.
The Sept. 11 Day of Remembrance, sponsored by the Chancellor's office, the
student body government and the Graduate Assembly, will also feature student
leaders distributing white ribbons, instead of the red, white and blue ones
they had originally planned.
"We thought that may be just too political, too patriotic," said Hazel Wong,
chief organizer for the Associated Students of the University of California
(ASUC). "We didn't want anything too centered on nationalism-anything that
is 'Go U.S.A.'"
Wong said the event organizers are "trying to steer away" from anything
political, and that, she said, includes singing the National Anthem and
displaying the red, white, and blue. She said they don't want politics
disrupting mourning and grieving.
"To hold a Sept. 11 memorial service devoid of patriotism is
counterintuitive," said Mark Engberg, a UC Berkeley freshman. "Holding a
service without patriotism is like holding a presidential debate without
mentioning politics. It doesn't work."
Jessica Quindel, president of the Graduate Assembly, a key player in the
planning, said the day's events are about more than just grieving. She said
the day is, in fact, about politics. And it's not just about Sept. 11, but
also the aftermath, including President Bush's response to the terrorist
attacks.
"We are trying to stay away from supporting Bush," Quindel said. "We don't
want to isolate people on this campus who disagree with the reaction to
Sept. 11."
Quindel, a self avowed hater of the American Flag, the federal government,
and the "Star Spangled Banner," said she is still patriotic. "It depends on
your definition of patriotism. Everyone has a different definition," she
said.
Patriotic songs may exclude and offend people, Quindel said, "because there
are so many people who don't agree with the songs." "God Bless America" is
"very exclusive" because it mentions God, she said. Though plans call for
four university music and song groups to perform at an evening vigil, not a
single patriotic song will be sung, at the behest of organizers. Instead,
songs of remembrance will be offered up.
Also, to prevent the exclusion of those who don't believe in the American
Flag, there will be no tribute to the flag. "The flag has become a symbol of
U.S. aggression towards other countries. It seems hostile," Quindel said.
Quindel will be one of two people selecting speakers for short speeches by
students during a noontime event on Memorial Glade. Students must
pre-register indicating the topic of the comments they wish to
make-classifying them into categories of mourning, religious and political.
That system doesn't wash with Robb McFadden, director of the California
College Republicans. "If Quindel and her Marxist comrades are selecting the
speakers, I think there are serious violations of fundamental fairness," he
said. "How can we expect freedom of speech to be filtered through such a
radical political ideologue?"
Scheduled speakers at the Memorial Glade assembly include Chancellor Robert
Berdahl, ASUC President Jesse Gabriel, and Quindel. They will likely speak,
according to Wong, about peace.
Those who aren't selected to speak by Quindel and her undergraduate
counterpart, Gabriel, will have an opportunity to speak at an open
microphone assembly in the evening. But if last year's open microphone
assembly on the night the attacks occurred is any guide, there will likely
not be an opportunity for patriotic speech Wednesday. At last Sept. 11's
vigil, members of the Berkeley College Republicans were shouted down while
speaking of patriotism.
The primary planner for Chancellor Berdahl, Colleen Rovetti, director of
university events and ceremonies, said she did not know avoiding patriotism
was an overriding objective of the student planners. She echoed remarks by
other organizers stressing their intent to make the event a memorial and not
a protest.
Gabriel said organizers aim to "separate political beliefs from mourning."
"Singing 'God Bless America' may prompt people to shout it down," he said.
Similar fears of aggression toward the flag prompted Berkeley's fire chief
to order American flags removed from fire trucks. City leaders worried
protesters would attack the flag and comprise firefighters' ability to do
their job. After national outcry, the flags were returned to the fire
trucks.
Members of the Berkeley College Republicans attended the student senate
meeting last night to urge their elected leaders to alter the plans for the
Sept. 11 memorial to include patriotic themes.
"If we leave patriotism and religion out of this event, we'd be reducing the
memorial to a bunch of anti-American whining, said Republican ASUC Senator
Paul LaFata. "Patriotism has a place on this campus, and by excluding it,
the ASUC has done exactly what they wanted to avoid. They have offended
students."
The Republicans were countered by those supporting the decision of the event
organizers. The decision's proponents argued that patriotism leads to
nationalism. They also said patriotism would exclude students who are not
American citizens.
Quindel said it would be inappropriate for the university to endorse
patriotic themes, and urged students to express their views at the open
microphone sessions."
