Confederate Flag on Truck at La Crosse Campus Stirs Debate

So, there's a construction site (new student center) on the campus of University of Wisconsin-La Crosse...and parked in the construction site's makeshift parking lot, was a truck belonging to one of the subcontracted construction workers. On the grill of this truck, the owner had a confederate flag sticker.

Apparently, according to the vice chancellor for student affairs, upon noticing this sticker, offended students on campus were struck with "fear and angst"...filed complaints...and demanded the flag sticker be removed.

The vice chancellor immediately had the owner scrape it off (the construction worker "complied willingly")...and then the VC made the rounds to campus student groups apologizing and saying "she would continue to defend free speech and work to guard students' "right to live and be educated free from hatred."

So, I ask you, ATS...Is this 'Much Ado About Nothing?'...Were the students just way too sensitive? Did the Vice Chancellor overreact out of the ridiculous PC climate on US university campuses?

IMO...Political correctness has run amok on these universities...and students are waaay too easily offended; in fact, I believe they are going out of their way to become offended.

LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) — The image of a Confederate flag emblazoned on a semi-trailer on University of Wisconsin-La Crosse's grounds has stirred up a debate on campus.

The symbol was on the grille of the semi-trailer parked on the student center construction site, the La Crosse Tribune (http://(link tracking not allowed)/1XeEuSN ) reports.

Paula Knudson, vice chancellor for student affairs, got complaints about the flag by phone and official "hate and bias" reports.

Among students to file a report was senior Matthew Dreis.

"I was let down. I really hoped we were beyond that in 2015," Dreis said.

Knudson emailed students last week saying the flag's image had been removed, and apologized for "fear and angst" caused.

Senior Zachary Allen, who said he doesn't support the flag, began organizing a demonstration supporting freedom of speech after he said it sounded like it had been forcibly removed.

Allen also contacted Knudson and university Chancellor Joe Gow to share his views.

"I don't agree with its use, but they still have every right under the law to do so," Allen said.

In a follow-up email Tuesday, Knudson clarified the university had asked for the flag's removal while the truck was on campus, and the driver "willingly complied." She said she would continue to defend free speech and work to guard students' "right to live and be educated free from hatred."

Gow defended Knudson's actions in a statement Tuesday. He talked about the flag's presence that day in a meeting with students, including Black Student Unity president Kalon Bell.

Bell said he views people displaying the flag with frustration and confusion.

"I don't see how they think that's an acceptable symbol anywhere," Bell said.

After the meeting, Gow denounced the flag as a "symbol of hate." If the driver had refused to remove the image, Gow said the university wouldn't have required him to remove it out of respect for his speech rights.

A discussion on the issue was scheduled on campus Friday.

"That's where we're going to get understanding," Dreis said. "That's why we do the things that we do to bring attention to the issues, so we can have that dialogue."

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a reply to: IAMTAT

Angst and fear?

and then the VC made the rounds to campus student groups apologizing and saying "she would continue to defend free speech and work to guard students' "right to live and be educated free from hatred."

I have never owned or flown a confederate flag, but didn't the man have rights too.

Is there a new law I am not aware of?

Free speech is dead.

a reply to: IAMTAT

My two cents....

There are now (and have been since ________ ) people that literally wander the streets desperately searching for something to be "offended" about.

Further, things I've been hearing about lately (this story included), in my opinion, aren't even about political correctness. I'm not sure what word or phrase I would use to define it.... but it is my understanding that generally speaking, being "politically correct" USED TO BE about being relatively thoughtful about what we say. Limiting slang that has an obvious negative/insulting overtone. THAT is not what is going on nowadays.

Just this past weekend I seen a truck with at least a 4 foot flag installed in the bed...

Fear and angst are the last things I felt.

Madness...

The dude in the OP scrapped it off willingly? He should have been filled with fear and angst in what his country has turned into. Thin skinned nation of outrage...

It was his personal property and he should have respectfully declined, while at the same time requesting that the students and staff grow a backbone and quite being a bunch of pansies.

Poor precious snowflakes got offended by a sticker.

Lock that construction worker up and throw away the key.

We can't have our future leaders getting their panties in a wad because of racist stickers.

Damn that worker, damn him to racist sticker hell!

a reply to: Terminal1

I'm sure the construction worker was afraid he'd lose his job.

a reply to: IAMTAT

Yes, but there's a fine line between what's "politically incorrect, but not dangerous" and "politically incorrect AND potentially dangerous".

To use an extreme example: If a person joked on Facebook about blowing up a hospital, that's not just politically incorrect but potentially dangerous.

Although not as "dangerous" per se, having a confederate flag ANYWHERE out in a public place in the United States is troubling. The flag owner either has no idea the soured history behind the flag, is delusional to the point of believing the flag is a POSITIVE symbol, or knows full-well what it means and doesn't care. Let me tell you now the last two scenarios are much more likely.

I'm sure you already knew this, but the Confederacy broke away from the U.S. due mainly to one sticking point: Slavery. So when you show your support for a bygone era of racism and forced-servitude by raising the Confederate flag, it's telling of a person's frame-of-mind.

Usually when we talk about "too much political correctness", it's usually reference to a particularly dark joke made on the media or internet. Showing this flag is NOT a case of political correctness. It represents the worst aspects of american history. You might as well have a flag on your car with the motto "I hate n****rs and think they should be enslaved." Don't act like this isn't what the Confederacy stood for.

To conclude, there's a difference between perceived incorrectness and downright inflammatory political statements.

EDIT: I forgot to mention what the studrnts made him do probably wasn't the best idea. However, this doesn't mean the Confederate flag isn't a symbol of hate and shouldn't be frowned upon in public places.

This is going to far. You can have that on your trucks and cars all you want. These kids were out of line as was the faculty.

If he didn't want to remove it, he shouldn't have removed it; the truck was his private property.

I have no doubt the U would have exerted pressure on the contracting company if he hadn't "complied."

Perhaps the kids should stay out of a construction site parking lot snooping around workers' property and get to class?

Do some homework?

Etc.

IMOYMMV

a reply to: Restricted

Oh really? When was the last time someone got locked up for speaking against the state?
This isn't an example of free speech being infringed. The guy was asked and he complied. He didn't have to, he may have thought he did and I kinda agree, but we don't know that now.

The flag owner either has no idea the soured history behind the flag, is delusional to the point of believing the flag is a POSITIVE symbol, or knows full-well what it means and doesn't care.

There are many in the world who think the US flag represents oppression also.

, offended students on campus were struck with "fear and angst"..

Oh my god, will someone please teach these children not to be afraid of everything? Yes, I said "children", because that is how they act. If you are so insecure that a piece of cloth scares you, you should just avoid going out in public. "This scares me".."That offends me".." Waaaaah Make It Stop Mommy!!!" "I just can't function because I can't get through the day without being intimidated by something".
And to top it all off, they actually believe they have the right to tell others what they can and can not have, display or believe.
Stay on campus. At least there, someone will give a fu** about your poor little feelings.

Your link doesn't work.

originally posted by: IAMTAT
So, I ask you, ATS...Is this 'Much Ado About Nothing?'...Were the students just way too sensitive? Did the Vice Chancellor overreact out of the ridiculous PC climate on US university campuses?

1. Yes, it seems to be much ado about nothing.
2. The students were as sensitive as they are. No moral judgments here.
3. I don't know if the Vice Chancellor overreacted or not

The ONE person who could have changed the outcome of this story is the construction worker who willingly gave up his rights.

IMO...Political correctness has run amok on these universities...and students are waaay too easily offended; in fact, I believe they are going out of their way to become offended.

You blame the "idea" of political correctness and the students who were offended. Nothing wrong with either of those. If someone gives up their rights willingly, you cannot blame political correctness.

a reply to: Passerby1996

And all that is their Right.

It doesn't matter what you think, I think or that a bunch of college kids were offended, the worker has the right to have that on his truck. In the same spirit, if he doesn't have the right to fly whatever flag he wants, you have no right to be offended by it. PC cuts both ways. I'm not defending the Confederate flag or someone who is in favor of slavery, I AM in favor of him being able to fly it, without being intimidated by a bunch of whining PC children, who constantly go out of their way to find things to be offended about.
Someone saying "I'm all for Freedom Of Speech, but"...should stop right after the word "speech". There's no way to sugar coat this turd.

I don't think campus rules should be applied to contracted workers who have nothing to do with administering education or providing student services. They aren't a part of the school just there to do a labor job.

a reply to: Kali74

Agreed. The construction worker could have offered to cover it up with a shirt or something... Maybe he hated the sticker anyway. Maybe he didn't even put it there.

a reply to: IAMTAT

How is denying free expression, defending free speech?

a reply to: DBCowboy

HE GAVE UP his free speech! No one denied him that. Good Lord!