SHE HAS MY THANKS.Byline: KEVIN MODESTI A basketball player at a tiny college north of New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. is conducting a one-woman political demonstration this season by turning away from the flag during pregame performances of the national anthem. Instead of our anger, she deserves our thanks. Thank you, Toni Smith, for reminding the rest of us that when we stand, face the flag and sing ``The Star-Spangled Banner'' before our sports events, we are not practicing a hollow custom but are making a statement. Frankly, to many people, the national-anthem ceremony gets to be routine, a delay of game, an exercise in conformity. It's easy to miss the point when teams hire whichever singer the record producer down the street is pushing this week. It's easy to miss the point when the singer cares more about demonstrating his vocal range Human voices may be classified according to their vocal range — the highest and lowest pitches that they can produce. Vocal range defined The broadest definition of vocal range, given above, is simply the span from the highest to the lowest note a particular voice than about the meaning of the words. It's easy to miss the point when the singer can't even pronounce the words (what's a ``per-o-lis'' fight?). It's easy to miss the point when there's a drunk in every crowd who thinks there are lyrics between ``o'er the land of the free'' and ``the home of the brave'' - ``Rangers suck!'' A ritual, even one as embedded Inserted into. See embedded system. in sports tradition as this, can lose some of its meaning over time. When everybody does a thing, it's easy to forget why. So, even people who disagree vehemently with Toni Smith's politics should be glad she is doing what she's doing at Manhattanville College Manhattanville College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Purchase, New York, USA. Manhattanville's mission is to "educate students to become ethically and socially responsible leaders for the global community. basketball games. Suddenly, not everybody is saluting the flag. And as a result, perhaps those around her are standing straighter, focusing harder on the stars and stripes Stars and Stripes nickname for the U.S. flag. [Am. Hist.: Brewer Dictionary, 8567] See : America , singing a little louder. Smith, a senior point guard for the Division III
Division III (or DIII) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association of the United States. college of 1,400 students in Purchase, N.Y., is exercising her right to think differently and to express her opinion peacefully. She is turning sideways to the flag during the national anthem, staring at the floor. She has been doing so all season, drawing little attention at first. But this month, Smith began to draw angry opposition. Fans at a Feb. 11 road game against the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy chanted at her to ``Leave our country!'' A Vietnam veteran This article is about veterans of the Vietnam War. For the French psychedelic musical group, see Vietnam Veterans. Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War. at Sunday's home game against Stevens Tech of New Jersey went onto the court during a break in play, held an American flag in front of Smith and lectured her before being led away by security guards. Smith explained her actions in a written statement that said in part: ``For some time now, the inequalities that are embedded in the American system The term American System can mean one of the following:
And after a home game Tuesday against the Merchant Marine Academy, the 21-year-old sociology major talked with reporters for the first time. ``My stance is not a personal attack on Vietnam veterans This article is about the French band. For veterans of the Vietnam War, see Vietnam veteran. The Vietnam Veterans were a six-person French psychedelic group that released six records in the 1980s. The band was praised by many alternative music publications. or any war veterans,'' Smith said, as quoted by The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times. ``I know the flag represents people who have died for this country, and I support them. But the flag means different things to different people. A lot of people blindly stand up and salute the flag, but I feel that blindly facing the flag hurts more people. There are a lot of inequities in this country, and these are issues that needed to be acknowledged. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, and our priorities are elsewhere.'' The playing of the national anthem before sports events became a regular occurrence during World War II. The emotions surrounding the nation's symbols are intensified now as war with Iraq looms. At the risk of stating the obvious, when America fights its wars, it does so in part to protect the quintessentially American freedom of people like Smith to take anti-establishment stands. Where else but here, where one person can make a difference, would a small-college women's basketball Women's basketball is one of the few games which developed in tandem with men's. It became popular, spreading from the east coast of the United States to the west coast, in large part via women's colleges. player averaging 3.2 points a game stir a national debate with a silent protest? Maybe you're frustrated frus·trate tr.v. frus·trat·ed, frus·trat·ing, frus·trates 1. a. To prevent from accomplishing a purpose or fulfilling a desire; thwart: that Smith is getting all this attention for her anti-American attitude, and you're thinking there's nothing you can do to respond without buying an airplane ticket to Purchase, N.Y. But there is something you can do right here in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Go to a ballgame. Get on your feet. Square your shoulders to the flag. Sing the anthem as loud and clear as you can. Make ``The Star-Spangled Banner'' your statement. Thank Toni Smith if it feels more important this time. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Toni Smith, third from left, a Manhattanville College basketball player, turns away from the flag during the national anthem as a form of protest. Stuart Ramson/Associated Press |
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