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Back in the 80's one of my fraternity brothers showed up for a
Halloween party in his baseball uniform and blackface and said he was
Reggie Jackson. While I didn't think this was a particularly clever
costume idea I have difficulty believing that similar behavior today
could get you kicked out of school, let alone having your whole
chapter lose it's charter.
The Confederate flag issue is more complicated. It's the opposite
side of the debate over the American flag and flag-burning. The First
Amendment sets up a line of reasoning that goes something like this:
In this country there is no such thing as a "blessed iconography" and
by the same token there is no right to ban any form of iconography.
It was a pretty far-out idea 215 years ago and it still is when you
think about it.
Debates over symbolism can go on endlessly. I certainly don't see any
signs of this one ending anytime soon. I do feel bad for the
undergrads at places like UVA, who get hit hard by this issue. After
all, a "teachable moment" is being squandered by heavy-handed
punishment. Not that I'd do it any differently if I were the
administrator, of course. I don't envy anyone who has to sort through
a situation like this and try to "do the right thing".
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