The rally, however, took an unsavory turn when, in the closing moments, protesters arrived and proceeded to burn an American flag while chanting anti-war, anti-Western messages. The individuals held signs and passed out fliers but made no attempt to communicate with those attending the rally, and their message failed to go beyond the powerful symbol of burning a flag. We question not the legality of the flag-burning, but its effectiveness.
The protesters did not attend the rally, nor did they engage in any sort of dialogue about their positions. Their protest failed, because the only response to their potentially valid point was confusion and anger from those students attending the rally.
Communication and a willingness to lay out their grievances in a clear and reasonable manner would have helped the protesters. Similarly, had they attended the rally, they might have better understood exactly what was going on-rather than erroneously assuming the word patriotism was synonymous with imperialism.
An act committed in anger and done simply to provoke anger is not conducive to solving problems. It simply breaks down the communication and sense of community everyone has so important to healing and understanding September's tragedy.
Sept. 11 and its repercussions will most likely be discussed along the same lines as the Kennedy assassination, the fall of communism, Pearl Harbor and other events that have effectively changed the course of history. We are in a unique position to shape the dialogue on such a monumental event. Let us do so intelligently.