“Dirty Jobs” host Mike Rowe took to Facebook Wednesday to address Hampshire College’s decision to stop flying the American flag, as well as students at American University burning the flag to protest President-elect Donald Trump.
Rowe noted that some college students will burn the flag and criticize the United States, but will still accept federal financial aid from the government to attend school.
He also took aim at Hampshire President Jonathan Lash, saying his school should educate students “about the undeniable fact that no country on the planet affords its citizens more liberty than this one,” adding he wonders how the school would allow students to pay for their tuitions with “federal dollars provided by the same government whose flag was no longer suitable to fly at his school.”
An excerpt from Mike Rowe’s post as follows:
As I dropped one of those giant round ice cubes into a tumbler of Whistle Pig, I couldn’t help but wonder if President Lash was unaware that billions of people around the world are routinely subjected to horrific levels of racism, misogyny, and bigotry that far exceed any injustice in modern-day America. Furthermore, I was curious to know if President Lash really believed that removing our flag is a better way to assuage the fears of his frightened students, than simply educating them about the undeniable fact that no country on the planet affords its citizens more liberty than this one? Finally, I found myself wondering as to why the President of Hampshire College would allow his students to pay for their tuition with federal dollars – federal dollars provided by the same government whose flag was no longer suitable to fly at his school.
We the People are enabling schools like Hampshire to sell a liberal arts degree for approximately $250,000. With $1.3 trillion dollars of student debt currently on the books, I found myself thinking how nice it would be to hear a more persuasive argument from those who will happily take money from a country whose flag they despise.
I turned the channel, and watched another group of students dance around another pile of burning flags at another expensive university. I couldn’t tell where they were, but occurred to me that wherever they were – it probably wasn’t a trade school. To my knowledge, no one has ever burned a flag at a trade school.
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.