Mass. State Rep.: ‘It’s a Disgrace’ What Hampshire College Did to the American Flag

>>> A Massachusetts college we ░░░░░░░░ been talking about for ░░░░░░░░ a week blanketed in ░░░░░░░░ white and blue in ░░░░░░░░ to a ban on ░░░░░░░░ American flag at the ░░░░░░░░ It s Hampshire college ░░░░░░░░ Massachusetts They took down ░░░░░░░░ flag after one flag ░░░░░░░░ set on fire one ░░░░░░░░ stolen in the wake ░░░░░░░░ the President Elect Trump ░░░░░░░░ win Now veterans are ░░░░░░░░ back with their own ░░░░░░░░ sparked by a lawmaker ░░░░░░░░ letter demanding that they ░░░░░░░░ that flag again That ░░░░░░░░ joins us now His ░░░░░░░░ is John Vila He ░░░░░░░░ a Massachusetts state representative ░░░░░░░░ 2 1 2 years ░░░░░░░░ an army reserve captain ░░░░░░░░ served in Afghanistan as ░░░░░░░░ Thank you for your ░░░░░░░░ Thank you very much ░░░░░░░░ did you start the ░░░░░░░░ It s a disgrace ░░░░░░░░ they did To lower ░░░░░░░░ flag and give a ░░░░░░░░ reason because you want ░░░░░░░░ focus on LGBTQ issues ░░░░░░░░ Semitism Those are important ░░░░░░░░ but not mutually exclusive ░░░░░░░░ can have the discussions ░░░░░░░░ keep old glory up ░░░░░░░░ keep the flag up ░░░░░░░░ That freedom of expression ░░░░░░░░ t even be possible ░░░░░░░░ not for the sacrifice ░░░░░░░░ the service of of ░░░░░░░░ veterans Absolute disgrace They ░░░░░░░░ they lowered it because ░░░░░░░░ the environment of hate ░░░░░░░░ violence on the campus ░░░░░░░░ so happened it was ░░░░░░░░ the day after the ░░░░░░░░ after the liberal university ░░░░░░░░ Clinton did not win ░░░░░░░░ election Jonathan lash you ░░░░░░░░ him a letter What ░░░░░░░░ you say Essentially put ░░░░░░░░ flag back up Articulated ░░░░░░░░ reasons I just said ░░░░░░░░ many people have given ░░░░░░░░ much You can have ░░░░░░░░ conversations about the topics ░░░░░░░░ the end of the ░░░░░░░░ the rights that your ░░░░░░░░ the freedom of expression ░░░░░░░░ not be possible if ░░░░░░░░ weren t for our ░░░░░░░░ members You can have ░░░░░░░░ discussion but honor those ░░░░░░░░ have fought for this ░░░░░░░░ Keep that flag up ░░░░░░░░ you heard back from ░░░░░░░░ I haven t heard ░░░░░░░░ him This is what ░░░░░░░░ said publicly Listen to ░░░░░░░░ The symbol was raising ░░░░░░░░ temperature of the controversy ░░░░░░░░ disagreement in getting us ░░░░░░░░ from the underlying values ░░░░░░░░ we wanted to discuss ░░░░░░░░ president said he lowered ░░░░░░░░ flag to half staff ░░░░░░░░ students were complaining First ░░░░░░░░ all that bothers me ░░░░░░░░ lot Because that s ░░░░░░░░ democratic at all Their ░░░░░░░░ didn t win the ░░░░░░░░ so he s going ░░░░░░░░ lower the flag to ░░░░░░░░ staff to listen to ░░░░░░░░ students Secondly more importantly ░░░░░░░░ died to fly that ░░░░░░░░ for the freedoms of ░░░░░░░░ flag Are you concerned ░░░░░░░░ the direction of these ░░░░░░░░ and what their mind ░░░░░░░░ is Absolutely I think ░░░░░░░░ re being cod ld ░░░░░░░░ shielded from the real ░░░░░░░░ You just said it ░░░░░░░░ have died and people ░░░░░░░░ come back without limbs ░░░░░░░░ the hundreds of thousands ░░░░░░░░ veterans friends of mine ░░░░░░░░ from tbi pds because ░░░░░░░░ that People have died ░░░░░░░░ that flag To take ░░░░░░░░ down so the students ░░░░░░░░ have free dialog again ░░░░░░░░ veterans no service members ░░░░░░░░ saying don t have ░░░░░░░░ dialog we re saying ░░░░░░░░ that dialog put the ░░░░░░░░ up What was the ░░░░░░░░ like at the protest ░░░░░░░░ count it was about ░░░░░░░░ it was huge We ░░░░░░░░ having another one this ░░░░░░░░ if it s not ░░░░░░░░ up For folks watching ░░░░░░░░ want to go Sunday ░░░░░░░░ 00 we ll be ░░░░░░░░ Get there early There ░░░░░░░░ so many people there ░░░░░░░░ time Bring a flag ░░░░░░░░ just let s do ░░░░░░░░ we can A peaceful ░░░░░░░░ Met a lady this ░░░░░░░░ a grandchild was born ░░░░░░░░ he had a chance ░░░░░░░░ come back and they ░░░░░░░░ the child after her ░░░░░░░░ who didn t come ░░░░░░░░ I said what do ░░░░░░░░ think about this university ░░░░░░░░ the flag because Hillary ░░░░░░░░ He doesn t agree ░░░░░░░░ it But he fought ░░░░░░░░ the right for them ░░░░░░░░ do that That s ░░░░░░░░ every veteran is saying ░░░░░░░░ have the right do ░░░░░░░░ But there s no ░░░░░░░░ that flag can t ░░░░░░░░ up there The flag ░░░░░░░░ the reason that we ░░░░░░░░ and they should honor ░░░░░░░░ That flag is the ░░░░░░░░ of freedom of speech ░░░░░░░░ expression They should honor ░░░░░░░░ Put that flag back ░░░░░░░░ Mr President Thank you ░░░░░░░░ much Thanks for having ░░░░░░░░ Thank you.