I have followed the recent discussion about displays of patriotism in the workplace, specifically employees displaying American flags on their desks, with great interest, and I'd like to offer some thoughts.

     I am very surprised that some of you seem to regard this as a matter of controversy. I certainly agree that items displayed on an employee's desk can reflect negatively on the institution and that managers and supervisors have the right to require them to be removed. If an employee working under my direction displayed a Confederate flag or a Little Black Sambo doll, I would be inclined not only to tell them to remove it but to drive my foot up their ass, which is not to suggest that I would act on the impulse. I hardly think, however, that an American flag can be validly equated with such items. In what way could displaying an American flag, the symbol of our nation, reflect negatively on the institution displaying it? I realize that the flag took on implications that many Americans were uncomfortable with as a result of misguided and divisive policies during the Vietnam era. As of September 11th, however, I think that's all abruptly and irrevocably behind us. Suddenly, we're living in a very different world. People have a profound need to exorcise feelings of fear, rage, and sorrow by expressing love of country and solidarity with their fellow Americans and affirming their faith in the bedrock values of our society. Let's also bear in mind and try to be senstive to the fact that people are in a fragile state emotionally. Countless people lost loved ones on September 11th or have friends who did. The loss of a loved one, especially in such a hideous way, is an intensely painful and private experience that employees are not necessarily going to feel comfortable talking to us about. So we could be managing such people without even knowing it, and to tell such a person to get rid of that flag on their desk strikes me as not only petty but unfeeling. Even people who did not experience losses are having trouble coming to terms with the enormity of what's happened. It's been reported that 1 in 3 Americans are experiencing insomnia, depression, anxiety and other such problems as a result of the tragedy. If it will help them to more effectively cope with the terrible thing that's happened then, for God's sake, let them have a flag on their desk.

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