Roger Ebert: Oh, say, can you wear? (about xenophobia)

[mucifer]

By
Roger Ebert
on May 13, 2010

I interrupt my regularly scheduled programming to try explain again what I believe about the issue of the American flag t-shirts in California schools.

In my earlier piece, I made the mistake of using wit and irony. I found many readers who do not receive on those wave lengths. There's a compulsion in some precincts of the Right to find others guilty of crimes out of proportion to the perceived offense. Anyone who is a liberal, as I am, must therefore be socialist, racist, and so on.

Let me begin by repeating something I clearly stated in my earlier article. In fact, I will quote: "Many others informed me that Americans have the right to be proud of our flag, and wear it on T-shirts. Of course they do. That isn't the question." To repeat: Yes, the students have a right to wear the American flag on their t-shirts.

They have this right, even though article 8d in Chapter One of the U. S. Code states, "The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery," and article 8j states, "No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations."

They have the right to do it, even though doing so, according to the Code, is a sign of disrespect.

There are other examples of personal attire which, reasonable people must agree, show disrespect. Appearing nude in public is one. Likewise, most of us don't feel our rights are violated when we see the sign, "No shirt, no shoes, no service." We understand why hotels or cruise ships might specify, "No bathing attire is to be worn in the dining room." San Marco in Venice, in common with many other cathedrals, doesn't allow anyone to enter dressed in shorts; women must not wear skimpy tops. We do not attend a black tie event dressed in cut-offs. We wear a coat and tie in many clubs. And so on. .. snip

Forget about my attempts at humor in my earlier article. Please believe that I did not intend to equate our flag with the Soviet flag. I was disappointed in my critics for deliberately "misunderstanding" my arguments to paint me as anti-American and in some cases wish death upon me. Traditional conservatives might have engaged in a useful discussion of the issues, and not descended immediately to cruel personal attacks.

We have here a new bill proposed by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer to ban ethnic studies programs in the state's high schools. The State Superintendent of Schools believes such courses promote "ethnic chauvinism." American high schools promoted ethnic chauvinism for many long years when the favored ethnic group involved citizens of European descent. Is it a bad thing for us to learn more about the culture and history of those others who share this nation? Apparently so. Is that racism? I'll let you decide.

Brewer fears such high school courses will, quote, "promote the overthrow of the U.S. government, promote resentment of a particular race or class of people, are designed primarily for students of a particular ethnic group or advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals."...snip


The final paragraph:

Let me end on a more positive note. We all came to this continent from somewhere else. All of us, even the Native Americans, who walked over a land bridge from Siberia. My grandparents came from Germany, Ireland and Holland. Yours came from somewhere. You are the child of immigrants. That's how it works here. We're all on board. Let's sail the ship of state together.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/05/_i_interrupt_my_regularly.html