University of Texas System Chancellor William McRaven, a retired U.S. Navy four-star admiral, recently handed down an important message to the coaches and athletes he oversees: “Stand up straight when the National Anthem is played.”
Face the flag and place your hand over your heart “as a sign of respect to the nation,” he added.
His request was made to campus presidents and athletic directors in a memo obtained by The College Fix, a letter which added: “Honoring the flag does not imply all that the Republic for which it stands is perfect. Far from it, honoring the flag is our collective commitment that we will constantly attempt to get better as a nation, to improve as a people, and to use the freedoms we have been given to make the earth a better place.”
That is why it’s “more important than ever for us to show respect for the flag; to demonstrate to the world that we are teaching our young men and women to honor the principles that made this country great,” McRaven continued.
He also rightly noted fans and fellow students who look up to the student athletes will notice their example, and it will have a lasting effect on them.
A spokesperson for the UT system told The College Fix that the memo was not “an order” to presidents and athletic directors, “but more of a recommendation.” She added there was no specific behavior or incident that prompted the request.
It’s nice to see a leader of a university system set the bar higher for students and seek accountability from them. This example hailing from the Lone Star state stands in stark contrast to the way in which craven administrators responded to racial protests on campus last fall – agreeing with demonstrators’ outlandish claims and complying with outrageous demands.
Here is a man who is teaching students about respect.
How many military men and women have died defending the stars and stripes – given their lives to preserve the union, advance democracy and freedom, and defend this nation against its enemies? It’s not too much to ask student athletes to stand up straight and put their right hand over their heart for 30 seconds. Democrat or Republican – we’re all Americans.