EDITORIAL

There was a good, unifying message in last Friday’s halftime

performance by the Newport Harbor High Sailors Marching Regiment.

Unfortunately, that message was muddled by its context, and in the case

of racism and America’s terrible legacy of slavery, context means

everything.

The theme of the controversial performance was designed around the

Civil War: “A requiem for soldiers: A nation divided stands united.”

Included in the performance were historical props representing the Union

and Confederate battle flags and the caps worn by the soldiers on both

sides.

All are powerful images, among the most evocative in America, none

moreso than the Confederate battle flag. For many Americans, the

Confederate symbol has come to represent not only past slavery in this

country but lasting, continuing racism. For that reason, there have been

successful campaigns to remove the symbol from flags and statehouses

across the South, where it did not actually fly until the late 1950s and

early 1960s as a protest, many argue convincingly, against integration

and the Civil Rights movement.

For that reason, also, a number of the people watching the Newport

Harbor vs. Westchester High football game -- including, though not

limited to, those from largely African-American Westchester High -- were

offended by what they saw.

They had every right to be. What they witnessed was in no way a

history lesson, where the complex issues surrounding the flag could be

delivered and discussed. It was a high school band performance, not the

proper vehicle for presenting this lesson and message. It was just a

show, a spectacle, which by its very nature did nothing more than

showcase symbols of America’s past, including a symbol of hate and

division -- precisely the opposite message of the performance’s theme.

Clearly, in its historical context, the Confederate flag should not be

stricken from our land. It is a part of our history, however shameful

that history is. Nor should an individual’s right to fly that flag be

denied, however offensive and degrading that choice may be to others.

Ultimately, this was a case of bad judgment and poor taste. The

Confederate flag, so laden with symbolism, does not belong in such a

venue, where it cannot be used as a simple prop because there is nothing

simple about its meaning. Principal Michael Vossen and band director Rob

Henthorn did the right thing by apologizing.

Unfortunately, the controversy has muted the message of the

performance, which given the events of the past two months is an

important one to hear and take to heart.

It also is unfortunate that the school’s marching band, which by all

accounts has improved tremendously under Henthorn’s guidance, would make

headlines for this incident and not for winning awards or doing well in

competitions.

Happily, the band has qualified for the Southern California-wide

“Tournament of Champions” contest.

We wish all members of the Marching Regiment the best in all their

future endeavors, and we congratulate Henthorn for taking the band to the

level he has.

Finally, we hope the band can chalk this up now as not so much a

history lesson, but a lesson in semantics, in which something can sound

perfectly fine on one hand but be clearly offensive on the other.