It was just another clear sunny Kansas day in July when University of Kansas student Ian Ballinger strolled by KU's Spooner Hall and immediately noticed something awry. Actually, what he saw disgusted him.
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing. At first, it looked like paint dripped on an American flag," Ballinger told Townhall.
Upon further inspection, he noticed a sock in the corner of the flag. It was obviously deliberate.
Source: Photo provided by Ian Ballinger
The flag being flown at Spooner Hall has been identified as a creation of German-born "artist" Josephine Meckseper. According to the website Creativetime.org, the flag is called "Untitled (Flag 2)" and is being displayed across the United States throughout the month of July as part of a campaign titled, "Pledges of Allegiance".
Meckseper stated:
“The flag is a collage of an American flag and one of my dripped paintings which resembles the contours of the United States. I divided the shape of the country in two for the flag design to reflect a deeply polarized country in which a president has openly bragged about harassing women and is withdrawing from the Kyoto protocol and UN Human Rights Council.
The black and white sock on my flag takes on a new symbolic meaning in light of the recent imprisonment of immigrant children at the border.
Let’s not forget that we all came from somewhere and are only recent occupants of this country – native cultures knew to took care of this continent much better for thousands of years before us. It’s about time for our differences to unite us rather than divide us.”
Source: Photo provided by Ian Ballinger
The "Pledges of Allegiance" campaign also includes a flag featuring the word, "Resist", as well as one that says, "A Horror Movie Called Western Civilization".
If this is what it takes to "inspire a sense of community," then I don't think they understand the terms "inspire" or "community". Leftists already fail at understanding economics, math, civics, and history, so it should come as no surprise that they lack a basic comprehension of the English language. They got it right when they used the word "moment" though, since their 15 minutes of fame has expired.
What are they exactly "pledging allegiance" to? Left wing ideology? Insanity? Debauchery? Socialism? Communism? Bad taste? Offensiveness? Dissention? Hate? Fascism? Greed? Slothfulness? Perversion?
It seems obvious to note that people who are hyper-focused on the country being divided are the ones being the most divisive.
Ian Ballinger wasn't having it. He said, "As a born and raised Kansan and Jayhawk [KU's mascot], I've done a lot of studying into the history of my state and the Jayhawker movement. It was a freedom-fighter movement fighting for anti-slavery and individual liberties. In my view, Lawrence and the University of Kansas ought to be among the most patriotic of places in America. Unfortunately, it's been overrun by far-left activists and postmodernists trying to change our culture. It wasn't always this bad here, as many older Kansans will tell you. As a student, I'm proud to call myself a Kansas Jayhawk... I'm embarrassed, however, to see the school I grew up loving and still love fly a flag like this."
Something tells me that Ian is not alone in his opinion.
Perhaps someone should point out to the "artist" that according to the United States Code Title 36 Chapter 10 Section 176 (g): "The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature."
Unfortunately, the US Supreme Court in Texas v. Johnson ruled that flag burning was "protected speech," therefore nullifying any criminal charges that would be applied to flag desecraters like Meckseper.
However, that should not stop the rest of us in exercising our free speech by contacting the University of Kansas and letting them know of our displeasure. You know, "Resist".
Let them know that just because you can, doesn't mean you should.
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