SOU flag display sparks controversy

Blane Newfield, 25, is a veteran of the United States Navy and served in Iraq. Newfield and a few other veterans on campus have expressed displeasure regarding the display at SOU. Photo by Thom Larkin | Daily Tidings

Emotions have run high since volunteers first laid a blanket of red and white flags representing American and Iraqi deaths in Iraq War the across the Southern Oregon University campus on Saturday.

The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, said Students for Truth Director Danny Moffat, who worked with Peace House and the Friends Meeting to bring the Iraq Body Count Exhibit to Ashland.

But the flags stretched across the lawn scream blame to some, including recent veterans who served in Iraq.

“It’s more or less a slap in the face to everyone who’s given their lives in the war,” said Blane Newfield, a 25-year-old SOU sophomore and Iraq veteran. “It’s very vague and in my opinion it’s leading to imply that all these deaths are the fault of the U.S. military.”

Although the Iraq Body Count Exhibit says the purpose is not to make a political statement, students like Newfield interpret the display as such, seemingly promoted by the university because it spans the campus. They dispute the figure of 655,000 Iraqi deaths cited by the exhibit and say the overwhelming number of white flags representing Iraqi soldiers and civilians minimizes the significance of the red flags, which represent American soldiers.

Read the rest of this story in Friday's Tidings (online after 1:10 p.m.)

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