Over the past few days there seems to have been a veritable war of painted words on one of the rock walls behind Bentley Hall.
OU Students for Liberty painted information about their meetings in addition to “NO WAR ON SYRIA” accompanied by an upside-down U.S. flag.
It is their right to freely express their opinions on this wall; I am not condemning them for that. However, by painting the flag upside down they are signaling that they/the country is in serious distress.
It’s because of this display that OU Combat Veterans felt they had to step in. They felt this was an improper display of the flag and I am inclined to agree with them. I saw them covering up the original flag and they replaced it with a painting of the flag right side up.
The next day, Students for Liberty had come back and painted, “There is no flag large enough to cover the bodies of innocent victims.”
Today was the final straw for me; I saw the wall with the information for the Students for Liberty meetings blacked out and the phrase “GET BENT” painted over the flag. I don’t know who is responsible for that lovely sentiment, but it needs to end.
Stop fighting fire with fire. Instead, I encourage the two groups to hold an open forum where they, and any other students who feel strongly on the issue, can discuss their opinions in a civilized manner.
Believe it or not, it is possible to disagree with one another and still be respectful.
Emily Harper is a senior studying international business and marketing.
