AMHERST — After the removal of the U.S. flag from its central location on the campus of Hampshire College prompted a visceral reaction by many here and around the country, the flag was reinstalled Friday, Dec. 2 — with college officials offering an apology to those offended by their original decision.
“This morning we raised the United States flag to full staff at Hampshire College after a two-week discussion period about what the flag means to members of the Hampshire community,” Hampshire College President Jonathan Lash said in a statement. “College leadership, including the board of trustees, had decided on November 18 to lower the flag for a time to encourage uninhibited expression of deeply held viewpoints.”
A group of Hampshire College students demanded the flag be lowered on Nov. 9, the day after Donald Trump’s election win, a reaction, the college said, to a “toxic” campaign season and vitriol against minorities.
The flag was initially lowered half-staff to “to honor the students’ expression,” according to the college. The following day, students demanded the school’s flag be removed altogether. On Veterans Day, the flag was found burned and on Nov. 18, Hampshire College removed the flag from the center of campus, which college officials said was temporary.
The decision to take down the flag was met by protests organized by veterans, which drew a crowd of hundreds, on Sunday, Nov. 27, at the college campus and attended by some local and state officials. Another demonstration planned for Dec. 4 was cancelled.
Victor Nuñez Ortiz, vice president of Veterans Advocacy Services in Groton and Amherst’s VFW Post 754 commander, who helped organize the protest, was on campus as the flag was returned to the pole.
Later that afternoon Ortiz led a press conference in front of the post in Amherst.
“We are pleased with Hampshire College’s decision to raise the flag,” Ortiz said. “We’ll continue as planned on Sunday to conduct a peaceful, passionate display of freedom and patriotism.”
Standing alongside Ortiz outside the VFW post was Colleen Chesmore, who also helped organize the demonstration.
“We are thrilled President Lash has responded to our cry to raise the flag, and it’s actually a great day for the American people, for our veterans, for our veterans’ families and for anybody who has sacrificed their lives to fight for the flag of this great country,” she said. “The flag isn’t racist, it’s not biased, it welcomes everybody, and that’s just the nice thing about the American flag — it’s a welcoming sign to our country, and we’re thrilled it will be flying over the college again.”
Ortiz also said that, while he was pleased with Lash’s decision, he’s hopeful that a dialogue about what the flag means to different groups of people will continue on the Hampshire campus and beyond.
“We are more than willing to move forward with the school in educating their students,” Ortiz said. “Raising our flag was our first step. We are open to discussion about any concerns Mr. Lash had in his original letter.”
During the press conference with reporters, Ortiz and Chesmore also addressed comments made by President-elect Donald Trump earlier in the week in which he called for those who burn the flag to be imprisoned or have their citizenship revoked.
“I think President-elect Trump has a great love for this country,” Chesmore said. “And I can’t imagine that burning the flag … would (land you in) jail or something else. That’s the great thing about this country is our freedom to protest, express our feelings. I can’t really see that happening.”
Ortiz said those who burn the flag are well within their right to do so, though he doesn’t condone the act himself.
“I just hope that President-elect Trump isn’t too serious about that, because in reality, that’s not a good way to unite people,” Ortiz said.
In his statement, Lash said the college community is “alarmed by the overt hate and threats, especially toward people in marginalized communities, which have escalated in recent weeks.”
“We did not lower the flag to make a political statement,” he stated. “Nor did we intend to cause offense to veterans, military families, or others for whom the flag represents service and sacrifice. We acted solely to facilitate much-needed dialogue on our campus about how to dismantle the bigotry that is prevalent in our society. We understand that many who hold the flag as a powerful symbol of national ideals and their highest aspirations for the country — including members of our own community — felt hurt by our decisions, and that we deeply regret.”
Rep. John Velis, D-Westfield, who participated in the rally weekend’s rally, wrote a letter to Lash Friday thanking the president “for restoring our sacred symbol to its hallowed place,” but also to request a meeting to understand the dialogue about what the American flag means and the concerns its presence raises.
“The gross injustices that persist in our country are the fault of a tumultuous and flawed history, but its arc towards justice has only ever been the product of people like yourselves who have stood up for the ideologies embodied by Old Glory,” Velis wrote.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
