04/16/2008
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Morning Sentinel staff photofrom the Kennebec Journal
BUDGET CUTS ORDERED
Many happy returns in Richmond
Tax woes land on Whitefield
Rapist denied new trial
AUGUSTA MINDING A MINE
SPORT OF KINGS Falconry a blend of dedication and commitment
COLLEGE HOCKEY: Maine rallies but falls short against Boston College
COLLEGE ROUNDUP: Colby women win season opener at home tournament
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WEDDING BURGLAR JAILED
Youths talk Turkey Day
Plenty of free Thanksgiving meals available
Turkey prices make for happier holiday
Kennebec County Superior Court
POLICE
COLLEGE HOCKEY: Maine rallies but falls short against Boston College
COLLEGE ROUNDUP: Colby women win season opener at home tournament
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from the Morning Sentinel
What she didn't expect was the level of emotion her experiment ignited.
Agitated students and veterans called it an insult. UMF maintenance workers placed cardboard signs at either end with the word "disgrace" printed in black.
And a member of the American Legion from Farmington was ready to be arrested by police when he started pulling up the flags made of tape and vinyl, calling it a "desecration."
Veteran Charles Bennett, the Legion commander for Franklin County, eventually was convinced by UMF President Theodora Kalikow to desist in the name of freedom of speech.
The assignment was to create a social commentary piece for a class with assistant art professor Kate Randall.
Starting about 6 a.m., students and employees walking through the student center had to decide to either step around or step on the five, four-by-five-foot flags and the 3,000 small, handheld flags scattered over the floor. As part of her project, Crane videotaped people's feet to record their response.
"This is very emotional for me because it goes against a lot of my own beliefs about the flag," Crane said, her eyes tearing up, after holding her own against a verbal barrage.
"But I feel strongly that people should have the choice. That is what our country is all about. I expected controversy but not like this," she said.
"I am on their side and I agree with what they are saying but they were also not hearing what I was saying," she said.
"Veterans have fought for our freedom and died for our freedom. This is what our freedom is all about," Crane said.
Crane, 40, an education major, described herself as a conservative Republican whose father is a 25-year military veteran. She said she had talked about her project with him and that he supported it.
"He said he respected what I was doing because he had fought for these rights," she said.
Bennett, when he arrived at about 3 p.m., began picking up the small flags and then started pulling up a large one. Crane called for UMF security and Director of Public Safety Ted Blais arrived. He asked Bennett to stop and step outside to talk.
Bennett later returned and confronted Crane and Randall, offering to give them pamphlets on flag etiquette and repeatedly requesting them to remove the flags. They responded that this was an art project that they had permission for and that the request was reviewed by legal counsel.
Bennett then first sat down by a flag and then stood beside it.
"I am protecting them. I am stopping people from walking on them," he said. "It is against the law to put the flag on the floor."
The overwhelming majority of passersby circumvented the flags. Only a few chose to step on them, Crane observed.
As the peaceful but loud crowd increased, Blais called for backup. Officers from the Farmington Police Department and UMF arrived as did Kalikow, Provost Alan Berger and Celeste Branham, vice president of student affairs. Kalikow took Bennett aside to explain the college's position.
"The U.S. Constitution touches everybody and the flag is a symbol of our rights. We have to protect that," Kalikow said later.
"(Bennett) feels very strongly and I feel very strongly," she said. "I didn't like this either because I was brought up with flag etiquette. But (Crane) has the right to do it. Is that not what America is about?"
Senior Ashlea Andrews, 21, rehabilitation major from Boothbay Harbor, told Crane she was not respecting the flag.
"This hurts veterans and the people who have served to give us our freedoms," she said. "I am all for freedom of speech, but this is the common area in the student center. This is a public place. It doesn't belong here."
Randall responded that there were as many people on campus who believed the project was a demonstration of freedom of speech as those "who believe in censorship."
Student Craig Durant, 22, of Milo, said he came over to show his support for the project. "I absolutely support her. This is art. But I also support (Bennett) volunteering his opinion. I love the fact he is standing up for what he believes."
Iraq war veteran Travis Hill, 28, of Salem Township, called the display "infuriating" and "insulting" and told Crane to take it down.
"She made her point. Why keep going?" he said.
Crane constructed the flags with a 5-foot-wide, winding path between them large enough to accommodate a wheelchair and avoid congestion, she said. She said she put a lot of thought into the project to see if people respected the flag.
"With all the unrest everywhere, I wanted to do something that would force people to think about how they feel about the flag. It was supposed be about respect versus disrespect," she said.
Crane said she researched the topic including the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions that struck down federal and state statutes prohibiting flag desecration. The court found those laws infringed on the right to free speech and expression under the First Amendment.
The project was approved for 24 hours. That plan was shelved, however, when Farmington Fire Chief Terry Bell, after consulting with State Fire Marshal Tim Fuller, determined the flags presented a tripping hazard.
By late afternoon, he ordered them moved to one side of the hall but Crane, exhausted, decided to remove them completely.
She said the confrontations were upsetting, especially since her 11-year-old son and husband were there. But she is proud she stood up for what she believed.
"The best thing about all this was that it sparked discussion," she said afterward.
Betty Jespersen -- 778-6991
bjespersen@centralmaine.com
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