Student tears Mexican flag; suspect remains at large
Jeremy Hunt
Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: News
by Jeremy Hunt
Daily Lobo
A student took down a Mexican flag from a flagpole outside Scholes Hall Monday, tore it and took it to the Air Force ROTC office, police said.
A summons was issued for Peter Lynch, 30, by the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court for criminal damage to property, said Lt. Pat Davis, spokesman for UNM Police.
Davis said Lynch is not a member of ROTC, and it is unclear why he took the flag to that office.
Lynch has not been charged because UNMPD cannot find him,
Davis said.
UNMPD investigated the vandalism as a potential hate crime, but witnesses from the ROTC office told police it was not a racially motivated crime, Davis said.
"He was frustrated a foreign flag was flown without an American flag nearby," he said. "We're basically investigating it on witness statements."
The Mexican Student Association raised the flag outside Scholes Hall on Friday for Mexican Independence Day, said Cheo Torres, vice president for academic
affairs.
Mabel Gonzales, president of the Mexican Student Association, declined to comment.
Torres and interim vice president for institutional diversity Rita Martinez-Purson issued an apology Tuesday from the
University for the incident.
"This sort of incident hurts everyone," Torres said. "It's something that you don't expect to see at a place like the University of New Mexico where we celebrate
diversity."
Martinez-Purson said the incident caught her off-guard, as well.
"I don't think anything really prepares you for this type of vindictive behavior," she said. "Obviously, we need to have strong dialog across campus about respect for other people and their cultures."
Whether the vandalism was racially motivated or not, it was offensive, especially to the Hispanic community, Martinez-Purson said.
"There's still an impact that has to be dealt with," she said. "He did insult them. His thoughtless behavior had consequences."
The University won't tolerate that kind of behavior, President David Schmidly said.
"It's inexcusable to desecrate a flag," he said. "I'm not going to be very pleasant to deal with on
this issue."
What makes the situation worse is that it was a Mexican flag, Schmidly said.
"For God's sake, New Mexico was part of Mexico at one time," he said. "There's tremendous ties, and we have a large population of Hispanics that live in our state and many of them have relatives and connections to Mexico."
Daily Lobo
A student took down a Mexican flag from a flagpole outside Scholes Hall Monday, tore it and took it to the Air Force ROTC office, police said.
A summons was issued for Peter Lynch, 30, by the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court for criminal damage to property, said Lt. Pat Davis, spokesman for UNM Police.
Davis said Lynch is not a member of ROTC, and it is unclear why he took the flag to that office.
Lynch has not been charged because UNMPD cannot find him,
Davis said.
UNMPD investigated the vandalism as a potential hate crime, but witnesses from the ROTC office told police it was not a racially motivated crime, Davis said.
"He was frustrated a foreign flag was flown without an American flag nearby," he said. "We're basically investigating it on witness statements."
The Mexican Student Association raised the flag outside Scholes Hall on Friday for Mexican Independence Day, said Cheo Torres, vice president for academic
affairs.
Mabel Gonzales, president of the Mexican Student Association, declined to comment.
Torres and interim vice president for institutional diversity Rita Martinez-Purson issued an apology Tuesday from the
University for the incident.
"This sort of incident hurts everyone," Torres said. "It's something that you don't expect to see at a place like the University of New Mexico where we celebrate
diversity."
Martinez-Purson said the incident caught her off-guard, as well.
"I don't think anything really prepares you for this type of vindictive behavior," she said. "Obviously, we need to have strong dialog across campus about respect for other people and their cultures."
Whether the vandalism was racially motivated or not, it was offensive, especially to the Hispanic community, Martinez-Purson said.
"There's still an impact that has to be dealt with," she said. "He did insult them. His thoughtless behavior had consequences."
The University won't tolerate that kind of behavior, President David Schmidly said.
"It's inexcusable to desecrate a flag," he said. "I'm not going to be very pleasant to deal with on
this issue."
What makes the situation worse is that it was a Mexican flag, Schmidly said.
"For God's sake, New Mexico was part of Mexico at one time," he said. "There's tremendous ties, and we have a large population of Hispanics that live in our state and many of them have relatives and connections to Mexico."
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Chris Johnson
posted 9/19/07 @ 10:30 AM MST
I'm concerned about Schmidly's comment, reported in this manner: "The University won't tolerate that kind of behavior, President David Schmidly said. "It's inexcusable to desecrate a flag," he said. (Continued…)
sterling
posted 9/19/07 @ 12:38 PM MST
Although his reaction was drastic, his ire is not unwarrented. Why was a Mexican flag being waved without an American flag?
Mark Pool
posted 9/20/07 @ 1:23 AM MST
President Schmidly should be fired for moronic tolerance of lack of assimilation by mexicans, a great number of which are felonious illegals hurting and in fact killing our American society. (Continued…)
Salvatore
posted 9/20/07 @ 1:24 AM MST
Interesting... Is this flag pole usually used to display a US flag? And was the Mexican flag flown in place of said US flag? If so, the institution may be in violation of US Code Title 4 Section 7, Subsection c, which states that "No person shall display the flag of the United Nations or any other national or international flag . (Continued…)
Infidel
posted 9/20/07 @ 3:15 AM MST
Well they did apologize. As long as they don't raise that flag again, I guess its OK.
INF>
RandomPaths
posted 9/20/07 @ 4:04 AM MST
Notice that everyone's concerned about offending someone who flew another country's flag, but no one was offended that a Mexican flag was flown in the U. (Continued…)
Robert Leffler
posted 9/20/07 @ 4:26 AM MST
UNM get of your high horse. 1st these students had no right rising a Mexican flag on campus. 2nd Did they ask for and receive permission to do so? if not, then they should be charged with a crime against United States Citizens! 3rd No flag in this country should ever be flown higher then our great standard, the Stars and Strips. (Continued…)
Gayle
posted 9/20/07 @ 5:30 AM MST
I do not believe Mexician officals would tolerate flying a United States Flag in Mexico. This is a symbol of who governs the land or ship the flag flies on. (Continued…)
Todd
posted 9/20/07 @ 5:32 AM MST
No foreign flags should be flown above a state institution without Old Glory above it or Next to it for any reason. I am sick and tired of mexicans in the united states not integrating. (Continued…)
Jerry
posted 9/20/07 @ 5:34 AM MST
This is America, yes? Why would we allow anyone to fly another countries flag within our borders? The flag has always signified a countries claim to a land. (Continued…)
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