Athlete's quiet protest is a show of freedom

I'd have more respect for those of us who disagree with Toni Smith's stance if since Sept. 11 we had collectively made some sacrifice or taken some action that made war in the Middle East less likely.

I'd have more respect for those of us who disagree with Toni Smith's stance if since Sept. 11 the routine of playing the national anthem at sporting events had taken on the importance it now has at Manhattanville College women's basketball games.

I'd have more respect for those of us who disagree with Toni Smith's stance if there was one shred of evidence that we were in fact more patriotic than this brave, intelligent, young woman.

We can comfort our consciences by wrapping ourselves in the flag, jeering this 21-year-old basketball player, complaining that she's chosen the wrong venue for her protest and pretending that the bullying and harassment we're subjecting her to isn't a symptom of our totalitarian desires.

But deep down we know the truth, or at least we should.

It's women like Smith who have made America great. Smith's quiet protest -- she turns away from the flag during the playing of the national anthem before her games -- is a symbol of the price we have to pay for freedom.

Tolerance of dissent is what's supposed to make us different than Iraq and Saddam Hussein. Someone needs to remind the attention-starved Vietnam veteran who confronted Smith at midcourt that he didn't risk his life in 'Nam for a flag. He tempted death so that a young woman or man could express his or her opinions in this country without fear of undue harassment.

Smith didn't begin her protest as a way to draw national attention. Playing at a tiny Division III school in front of 100 or so spectators, there's no way she could have known that her protest would draw this sort of reaction.

She wasn't interested in being John Carlos or Tommie Smith, the 1968 American Olympic sprinters who shook the world by bowing their heads and raising black-gloved fists on the medal stand to protest America's racial inequalities.

Toni Smith just wanted to express her feelings and possibly spark debate among her teammates and classmates. Her protest, which started at the beginning of the season, didn't begin as an anti-war statement.

Nope. Even those of us who disagree with Smith's stance must admit that she has a Rosa Parks quality. Parks had no idea her refusal to give up a seat on a bus would spark a civil-rights movement. They say Parks chose the wrong venue, too.

"When she puts on that uniform she's representing the entire university," Kansas State women's basketball coach Deb Patterson told me Friday, explaining why she would discourage one of her players from taking a Smith-like stance.

Some issues are bigger than team, bigger than universities, bigger than team chemistry. By tolerating Smith's stance, New York's Manhattanville College is sending a powerful message to our young people. There's never a wrong place or a wrong time to peacefully stand up for what you believe in, for what you believe is right and just.

There's an amazing depth to Smith's beliefs, a depth that too many of us believe young people, particularly young athletes, don't have anymore.

Smith issued a short statement detailing her beliefs. Read it and then ask yourself if at age 21 (or even age 41) you could articulate your beliefs so concisely, so substantively.

"For some time now, the inequalities that are embedded into the American system have bothered me. As they are becoming progressively worse and it is clear that the government's priorities are not bettering the quality of life for all of its people, but rather on expanding its own power, I cannot, in good conscience, salute the flag.

"The war America will soon be entering in has reinforced my beliefs, while further angering me. I am aware that this is a time of fear for many Americans, and the media has done a fine job of maintaining that fear and riling up people's emotions. However, amidst this fear people have lost sight of the fact that Bush's plan for "maintaining our safety" will cause many innocent people, women and children, mothers and babies, to die overseas. Furthermore, going to war will likely provoke more violence in this country.

"It does not bother me that so many Americans oppose me. If anyone looked deeper than the headlines, they would find that my arguments are true. Besides, whether or not people agree with me is irrelevant. It is my right as an American to stand for my beliefs the way others have done against me. Being patriotic cannot simply be an empty slogan. Patriotism can be shown in many ways, but those who choose to do so by saluting the flag should recognize that the American flag stands for individuality and freedom. Therefore, any true patriot must acknowledge and respect my right to be different."

We can hate and curse Toni Smith for turning her back on the flag. That, too, is our American right. But, to me, Toni Smith is a great American symbol that we need to make more sacrifices, buy fewer gas-guzzling SUVs and decrease our dependence on Middle Eastern oil. And we either need to do away with the singing of the national anthem before sporting events or take it as seriously as spectators now do at Manhattanville College women's basketball games.

Jason Whitlock is a columnist for The Kansas City Star.