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Editorial: Flag pole: Accept it, The latest controversy over the American flag in Ashland has several simple answers. Unlike the murky waters of flag-burning, the solution over the fight to plant a flag pole at the Willow Wind Community Learning Center is pretty easy to figure out. Whether the home-schooling community that sends their kids to the learning center likes it or not, it's the law to fly a U.S. and State of Oregon flag on school property. Since Willow Wind uses a school building, it's useless for parents to bellyache about the "imperialist" cloth greeting their kids each day. The school district is correct in saying it's not the parents' choice whether the Stars and Stripes flies at the East Main Street campus. The ASD is simply following the law. If the parents really have any conviction, they'd start planning bake sales and fund-raisers. This would help them collect enough money to move off- site. That way, they would no longer be bound by state law that is tied to using a school district building. Until that day comes, Willow Wind - no matter how far parents think they are from the ASD - will remain a satellite school district campus that offers alternative coursework to a group of local students. With that said, we have to comment on the rhetoric some of these parents are using to describe this flag feud. Some of it is obviously inspired by passionate views about American morals and intentions, but much of it is typical liberal jabber. To say the American flag represents "dominance, greed, corporate power and not freedom," and even "commercialism and consumerism" is a farce. It is also insults the memory of those who gave their lives to keep the United States a nation where people can openly criticize everything from government policies to flag poles. Lost in all this is the purely patriotic intentions of one Jesse Stanton, the 13-year-old boy who wants to honor the flag by putting it up at Willow Wind, where he attends. Stanton is no tool of an "imperialistic" U.S. government. In fact, he is a well-spoken, informed young man who believes in the freedoms of our nation, including the right of Willow Wind parents to dissent. That's what the flag represents to him and us or move out LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -