Photograph by Paul Myers
An American flag hangs on the wall of the language arts 10 classroom at West Valley College. The college district board of trustees voted Nov. 1 that it would provide American flags for district community members who wanted to hang them, after voting down the permanent placement and maintenance of flags in all district classrooms.
Flag fallout at West Valley College finds its way onto national television talk show
By Rebecca Ray
When Trustee Don Wolfe proposed the mandatory placement of flags in all classrooms in the West Valley-Mission Community College District, he intended the flags to serve as instruments of education that promoted discussion, he says. Wolfe couldn't have imagined that the discussion would have a chance of reaching a national television audience.
After the district board of trustees voted down the resolution Wolfe proposed Nov. 1, Saratoga Lions Club member Karin Dowdy, a former West Valley-Mission Community College District trustee, emailed The O'Reilly Factor television show about the vote. Dowdy never imagined the Fox News Channel show would pick up her idea, let alone have host Bill O'Reilly conduct an interview with her Nov. 9 on television. When Dowdy related to O'Reilly that some teachers were uncomfortable about addressing the flag issue in the classroom, O'Reilly said, "This sounds like the usual politically correct, mealy-mouthed stuff that California is known for."
The O'Reilly Factor isn't the only media outlet that's gotten wind of the board's Nov. 1 decision. On Nov. 6, KGO radio morning talk show host Ronn Owens and listeners spent two hours discussing the meaning of the flag. Television station KGO, the San Jose Mercury News, the San Francisco Chronicle and National Public Radio also ran stories on the board's vote.
The widespread coverage of the event is an "indication of the warmth that Americans have for their national emblem and the interest they have in the flag being displayed in places of learning, including higher education," Wolfe said.
Trustee Joy Atkins, who voted against the resolution, said she feels different about the coverage. "I think we have much more important issues to face as a college," she said. "Much too much has been made of this."
Wolfe proposed the resolution, he said, because students need to have a better understanding of civic values. Although he thought of introducing the resolution three years ago when he became a board member, he said, the timing seemed right after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
After the trustees voted down Wolfe's resolution, they approved a second resolution to make flags available to whoever in the school community wanted them. The shared governance committees at both West Valley and Mission Colleges--which include students, faculty members and classified and administrative staff--will decide on the placement of the flags, said district Chancellor Linda Salter. College management will then decide how to raise the money for the flags, Salter said.
Atkins, one of five trustees who voted in favor of the second resolution, said the resolution sounded fair, in that those who wanted to display flags could display them, and those who didn't want to didn't have to.
Wolfe, who abstained, says he feels different. Although the second resolution sounds good, he said, "it's a roadblock to getting that instrument of education up on the wall." He said the resolution wasn't practical, in that instructors, who share classrooms, wouldn't want to carry flags in their pockets and then hang them up and take them down each day.
Trustee Frank Jewett, who supported the resolution Wolfe proposed, said the second resolution was a "good first step" to revisiting the issue. He said he would advocate a forum for students and community members on American values and patriotism.
In terms of revisiting the issue, Wolfe says he believes this is just the beginning. Although he's not sure yet whether or not he will bring a resolution for mandatory flags before the board again, he is forming plans to bring a resolution before the state Legislature that calls for flags in all California public college classrooms. Wolfe says he has solicited the support of civic groups and private family foundations. "Many civic groups will be happy to carry the flag to the state Legislature," he said.
Wolfe says he may even present the resolution to state officials around the time of the 2002 statewide elections, so that the candidates can take positions on it. "The issue will not go away until the flags appear in our classrooms," he said.
Trustees voted against the permanent placement and maintenance of flags in all district classrooms after listening to objections from students, faculty members, West Valley College Student Trustee Vinh Phan and Mission College Student Trustee Rob Singh. West Valley English instructor Leslie Saito said that not all teachers would be prepared to deal with the distraction the flag would create among students, while Marika Porter, student senate vice president at the college, argued that the proliferation of flags would cause their meaning to be lost.
Carolyn Fisher, president of the Association of College Educators, said she didn't want flags to cause discomfort among students who might disagree with the flag's presence in the classroom.
Ann Marie Burger, president of the Rotary Club of Saratoga, disagreed. "The flag and its proper display threaten no one," she said.
"It's a fitting tribute to the country that has nurtured us and protected us," Dowdy said.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
