A couple of months ago I hung the PACE flag from my office window. I had this fantasy that anyone who had a flag for social justice or cualquier tipo de bandera que significa liberación would open their windows and do the same. Well, I waited and the PACE flag hung there by itself for months. Wouldn't it have been great if other faculty had gotten out their flags in solidarity? What keeps people from doing beautiful things? The PACE flag is beautiful. Rainbow stripes like LGBT pride and the word PEACE. The Italians made this one up to protest the invasion of Iraq. I wonder if it's still there since I haven't been back to check. It doesn't exactly go with the architecture of the brick Ivy League kind of building, Macmillan Hall, but it goes with the times. I have to go get my office cleaned up for the person who will be teaching my courses next year. I'd like to leave the flag hanging out the window though. Ya veremos.P.S. Rene' and Debbie made me want to look up some more information on the Italian peace flag. Turns out the Italians have been making rainbow peace flags against war since the 1960's and it has gone through several versions before the PACE one now. The current flag is part of a campaign, "Peace from every balcony," which was to protest Italian involvement in Iraq. Other countries have also made adaptations of this flag to protest war. Now, I REALLY wish everyone had a flag hanging out their office windows. I mean, wouldn't that be something to see while driving through Aurora? And how about hanging a PACE flag next to each and every one of those UCE signs that have written on them, "No sovereign nation. No reservation"? Invasion of Iraq. Invasion of the Cayuga Nation. Yes, compañer@s, PACE flags are needed.
4 comments:
Hello Vic,
I had to reply to this one. I am embarrassed to tell you that I did see the flag hanging from your office window and I did not understand what it meant. I was curious enough to do some research on its meaning and once I understood....I understood its beauty; it is a rainbow flag for peace.
You asked what keeps people from doing beautiful things. I often have wondered about that myself. I suspect that the major factor which prevents people from "stepping outside the box" is FEAR.
On a personal note, I can share that I have kept myself "boxed" in earlier years simply because I did not understand. It was safer for me to "not ruffle feathers".
Education has helped me to open my heart and mind. Education has helped me feel compassion for myself and others who do not or did not understand.
How I feel today is so completely different from how I felt 10 yrs ago. It is through education both in the classroom as well as my life experiences that this change has been possible.
I hope you will leave the flag hanging outside of your room. You may not know it now but I believe it is this kind of gesture that sparks interest in other's minds.
Rene'
Hi Vic,
Well, I had no clue that is what that was!!! LOL I assumed it was associated with LGBT and never questioned it. So I guess I am learning something new again! (1)Never assume anything and (2) Ask lots of questions even if you think it would be a dumb question!!! I do agree that this flag should be seen in many places but I wonder if many people ASSumed as I did that is was something other than what it really was!!!!
Debbie
Thanks for writing, Rene' and Debbie. I wondered if people might see the rainbow and think of LGBT rights only. I love this flag because it combines the rainbow, peace, and an end to the U.S. war on Iraq. Let me see if I can find some photos of when and where it was used in Italy and I'll post that. It is now used here much more as a way to protest the war. There are even bumper stickers.
Thanks for all your comments!
Paz,
Vic
Hi Vic:
For the whole semester I watched your flag flying from your window. It is actually very beautiful against the bricks of Macmillan. It is a symbol of peace and quietude in the maelstrom on campus. I would leave it flying while on sabbatical to see what would happen. Would others too join in and unfurl their own peace symbols or would the flag be removed? What do others think? Mmmmh? Cannot wait to see.
Ethel
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