Students at The University of California, Davis have voted to change the rules that made flying the American flag optional at Student Senate meetings, claiming everyone has different understanding of patriotism.
On Thursday night last week, students at UC Davis reached a decision to make flying the American optional, Fox 40 reported. Previously, it was compulsory to have the flag present during meetings.
According to the motion, it will now be up to a student senator or ex-officio to petition the student body 24 hours before a meeting if they wish to see a flag present at a student gathering. Any requests for the flag will also be subject to a vote by the student body.
The text of the bill claims every person has a different understanding of the country and patriotism, therefore the flag shouldn’t be compulsory. “In accordance with the understanding that the concept of the US and patriotism is different for every individual, it should not be compulsory that the flag is in view at senate meetings.”
The author of the bill, Itamar Waksman, claimed the student government didn’t even have the flag in the first place. He added that it wasn’t a topic of discussion until he made the bill.
Waksman also said he’s a patriot himself, but people can still oppose the American flag while still supporting the country.
Another student senator, Michael Gofman, opposed the bill. As a first-generation American whose family came from the Soviet Union, he claims students owe it to the U.S., adding that the decision to make the flag optional is a slap in the face to everyone.