DKW 86 7,426 Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 http://www.collegefootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm Protests Planned Against LSU's "Confederate Flag" African-American students have planned pregame tailgate parties near Tiger Stadium incident to today's LSU - Louisiana-Lafayette game (scrimmage) in response to the purple-and-gold version of the Confederate battle flag that is waved by some Louisiana State University fans at sports events. The flag blends a symbol of the Confederacy with the LSU school colors, the combination of which has provoked anger from blacks and created a major PR nightmare for the school. The modified banner is popular with many LSU students. “It represents two different things that I’m proud of,†said sophomore Harper Hollis, referring to his Southern heritage and the state’s largest university. (Nice name Hollis) Black students held a string of game day protests last year -- the largest attracting several hundred participants -- to demand that the school prohibit fans on campus from flying the banner. The protests resulted in a few scuffles and a lot of attention in the news media -- but no ban on the flag. This year, protest organizers are taking the pregame tailgating route. Beginning with the season opener on Saturday, organizers will aim to encourage students to discuss the different meanings the flag carries. In addition, organizers will display images of the flag along with blank white poster paper and markers, so people can write down and display their thoughts about the flag's meaning. [CFT Analysis: Please make this whole thing go away ... please.] University officials have consistently rebuffed demands for a ban on the LSU-themed Rebel flag, saying a ban would infringe on First Amendment rights. But while those who like the flag consider it a symbol of both LSU pride and Southern heritage, the school is opposed to the idea of merging its colors with what is also a symbol of slavery. "We have an intolerance of the display of this symbol, a fundamental rejection by the university, of the use of university colors to even vaguely imply that we would tolerate or endorse this display," said LSU chancellor Sean O'Keefe. [CFT Translation: It really isn't nice to wave the thing but I have no balls to ban it.] The school has no restrictions on flying the flags on campus, but O'Keefe released a letter Friday asking fans to leave them at home. "We will not impede the constitutional right of free speech by banning this flag, but we ask that it not be flown on the LSU campus," the letter said. The school also sent letters to wholesalers and local retailers, asking them to stop selling the flag -- and strongly implying that the stores could be frozen out in the future on the lucrative sales of franchised LSU flags, banners and other items. The flags retail in some stores for $35. To wholesalers, the school sent letters indicating that the flags -- with their taint of racism -- could cause the value of LSU's trademarks to drop, O'Keefe said. The letters included the veiled threat of a lawsuit. The result, O'Keefe said, has been a sharp drop in the sales of the flags. "These are serious businesspeople. They get the picture," says Chancellor Paper Mache. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RadioWryn 0 Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 They did this last year at several games in Baton Rouge, including the Auburn game. It's just something people hang at their tailgate. Move on, nothing to see here. What, are we going to have cops patrolling tailgates making people stop? Erm. No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UA-CT 1 Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 http://www.collegefootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm Protests Planned Against LSU's "Confederate Flag" African-American students have planned pregame tailgate parties near Tiger Stadium incident to today's LSU - Louisiana-Lafayette game (scrimmage) in response to the purple-and-gold version of the Confederate battle flag that is waved by some Louisiana State University fans at sports events. The flag blends a symbol of the Confederacy with the LSU school colors, the combination of which has provoked anger from blacks and created a major PR nightmare for the school. The modified banner is popular with many LSU students. “It represents two different things that I’m proud of,†said sophomore Harper Hollis, referring to his Southern heritage and the state’s largest university. (Nice name Hollis) Black students held a string of game day protests last year -- the largest attracting several hundred participants -- to demand that the school prohibit fans on campus from flying the banner. The protests resulted in a few scuffles and a lot of attention in the news media -- but no ban on the flag. This year, protest organizers are taking the pregame tailgating route. Beginning with the season opener on Saturday, organizers will aim to encourage students to discuss the different meanings the flag carries. In addition, organizers will display images of the flag along with blank white poster paper and markers, so people can write down and display their thoughts about the flag's meaning. [CFT Analysis: Please make this whole thing go away ... please.] University officials have consistently rebuffed demands for a ban on the LSU-themed Rebel flag, saying a ban would infringe on First Amendment rights. But while those who like the flag consider it a symbol of both LSU pride and Southern heritage, the school is opposed to the idea of merging its colors with what is also a symbol of slavery. "We have an intolerance of the display of this symbol, a fundamental rejection by the university, of the use of university colors to even vaguely imply that we would tolerate or endorse this display," said LSU chancellor Sean O'Keefe. [CFT Translation: It really isn't nice to wave the thing but I have no balls to ban it.] The school has no restrictions on flying the flags on campus, but O'Keefe released a letter Friday asking fans to leave them at home. "We will not impede the constitutional right of free speech by banning this flag, but we ask that it not be flown on the LSU campus," the letter said. The school also sent letters to wholesalers and local retailers, asking them to stop selling the flag -- and strongly implying that the stores could be frozen out in the future on the lucrative sales of franchised LSU flags, banners and other items. The flags retail in some stores for $35. To wholesalers, the school sent letters indicating that the flags -- with their taint of racism -- could cause the value of LSU's trademarks to drop, O'Keefe said. The letters included the veiled threat of a lawsuit. The result, O'Keefe said, has been a sharp drop in the sales of the flags. "These are serious businesspeople. They get the picture," says Chancellor Paper Mache. Wasn't both Ole Miss and LSU the last two SEC schools to intergrate their football teams? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietfan 233 Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 LSU might have legal authority to ban it inside the stadium--I'm not exactly sure--because that is essentially a private, controlled University function for which ticket buyers agree to certain terms in buying the ticket. Like it or not, however, I think it's display outside, in public, is protected by the 1st Amendment. Just seems there are more important, more productive, battles to fight for those concerned about racism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolinaTiger 0 Posted September 5, 2006 Share Posted September 5, 2006 help me out here...do the students find it offensive because of the resemblence to the confederate flag, or because of the colors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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