I pity those who did not attend the football game against Washington last month. Not because we pummeled the Huskies — although that was a treat — but rather because you missed the Michigan Marching Band’s halftime show. Dedicated to the victims of Sept. 11, 2001, the band performed an arrangement celebrating New York City and the rich American musical tradition, all the while decked out in colored LED lights. For their last song, J.P. Sousa’s “Stars and Stripes Forever,” the marching band formed a magnificent 70-yard long American flag. At sight of the flag, the Big House erupted into cheers. That surprised me. I have always celebrated the flag; to me, it is a source of pride and a reminder of how lucky I am to live in this country. At the same time, I recognize that my association to the flag is not shared by all, especially given its currently polarizing character. On Jan. 6, a sea of American flags, traditional and unorthodox, descended upon the Capitol building, carried by a mob bent on obstructing the democratic process. In Brazil, citizens advocating for anti- democratic reforms adopted the flag as a symbol of their struggle, and this past July, a New York farmer was labeled a Trump supporter for the sin of displaying an American flag on the side of his potato truck. It is shameful that our nation’s most iconic symbol could be co-opted by a single political faction. According to journalist Marc Leepson in his book, “Flag: An American Biography,” the Founding Fathers did not attach much significance to the flag. The first documented reference to the flag, the Flag Resolution of 1777, simply reads, “Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” There might have been fierce debate between the Founders about the flag’s meaning behind closed doors, but according to most historians, the flag was likely born out of the simple necessity to distinguish the Continental Army in the field of battle. In the decades after the American Revolution, mythology began to crop up around the flag that masks the actual evolution of the flag within the national conscience. Did you know that Betsy Ross did not sew the first flag, or that Washington did not bring it with him when he crossed the Delaware, even if this famous painting gives that impression? It was not until the outbreak of the Civil War that the Stars and Stripes became a national symbol. Another seemingly primordial institution, the Pledge of Allegiance, was conceived at the end of the 19th century (relatively recently) to celebrate Columbus Day. The phrase “under God” was added in 1954 as a signal of anti-communism during the Cold War. Controversy over respect for the flag sparked during the Vietnam War, when anti-war advocates burned the flag as a sign of protest and reignited in 2016 when former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem. History teaches us that the flag’s meaning has been altered over time to serve a variety of political purposes, even though the Founders did not view it as a political symbol. Why, then, does the flag continue to feature so prominently in national politics? Perhaps reverberations from the turbulent flag-burning Vietnam era have yet to settle in the national memory. Maybe the rapid expansion of post-9/11 patriotism was immediately soured by the revelation of the U.S. military’s conduct abroad, like mass torture, and the surge in Islamophobia at home. Whatever the reason, our preoccupation with the flag as a signal of political inclination is unnecessary, harmful and deserves to be retired. Our generation should usher in a period of New Nationalism. Take pride in the flag, not as a symbol of government, but of people. Claim it as your property. Pour into it all the hopes you have for the future of the country, and let that be your American flag. Do not let any one faction force their version of the flag upon you. If Biden loses the presidency in 2024, do not retire your flag. Keep it flying right next to your preferred candidate’s sign as a signal of your dual commitment to both your politics and your country as a whole. Direct your political energy towards organizing, protesting and campaigning as you see fit, but preserve the flag as an institution set apart from the politics and polarization of the day. The nation desperately needs to remember that we are bound by the same red, white and blue fabric, and we all have a stake in the future success of the country. By consigning the old flag to the annals of history and hoisting a new one in its stead, we take the first necessary steps towards remembrance. Over the past decade, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has enjoyed a meteoric rise from relative obscurity to one of the most popular sports and entertainment products in the United States. The 2010s saw the UFC’s greatest stars transcend not just their own sports, but all sports. Former two-division champion Conor McGregor is arguably the most famous athlete on the entire planet. Former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is the single most popular athlete in all of Russia, according to Forbes. UFC President Dana Frederick White Jr. has led the organization for over 20 years, shepherding it to its status as the worldwide leader in combat sports. So why would White, the man largely responsible for the UFC’s prominence, have a 55.1% disapproval rating from MMA fans? The Athletic’s polling of fight fans in April 2020 laid out a pretty stark contrast: Fans love the UFC, but not the man at its helm. Given the time at which the poll was administered, it stands to reason that the pandemic would be a factor. The responses bore that out: Many respondents noted the UFC’s attempts to push forward with holding a pay-per- view event, UFC 249, at the height of the pandemic, as a reason for their displeasure with White. That’s obviously a valid grievance, but it is itself part-and-parcel of the overarching problem many MMA fans and fighters alike have with White: The man treats his fighters horribly. While attempting to hold a combat sports event as an uncontrolled, aerosolized virus ran rampant across the world would be enough to convince most people that White doesn’t value the athletes upon whom his success is based, there’s actually more than that. The UFC pays its fighters an embarrassingly small percentage of its overall revenues, while White himself has a net worth of $500 million and an annual salary of $20 million. The four major sports leagues in North America (MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL) each have revenue-sharing deals collectively bargained between the leagues and the players’ unions, and each of those agreements provides for the athletes to receive at least 48.5% of total revenues generated by the league. Such equitable compensation has been par for the course in North American sports for decades — it would be unimaginable to the common sports fan for their favorite athletes to not receive their fair share of the revenues they themselves drive. The UFC, though, has no revenue-sharing deal. In fact, there is no MMA fighters’ union at all, though roughly 80% of MMA fighters support unionization. As a result, White is the sole arbiter of how the UFC pays its fighters, and many of the UFC’s signature stars have sacrificed some of their prime years as athletes over White’s refusal to pay them their worth. Henry Carlos Cejudo, former two- division UFC champion and Olympic gold medal wrestler, retired after his last bantamweight title defense at (the later-rescheduled) UFC 249, partly due to pay concerns. Jon Jones, former light heavyweight champion and widely considered the greatest mixed martial artist to ever live, has not fought in nearly two years due to continued breakdowns in contractual negotiations with White. McGregor has fought three times since 2020, including two blockbuster pay-per- view main events against Dustin Poirier, former interim lightweight champion, this year. However, McGregor’s status as the highest-paid athlete in the world is misleading to say the least. According to Forbes, just $22 million of the $180 million McGregor had made in the first five months of this year (after the first Poirier fight and before the second) came from his UFC contract. The remaining $158 million came from endorsements and other outside revenue streams. While no one should shed a tear for the wallet of a man worth hundreds of millions of dollars, McGregor’s income breakdown is indicative of a systemic problem that White is clearly responsible for. The UFC so grossly underpaid the brightest star in its history to such a degree that McGregor did not step into the octagon for nearly two years. Instead, McGregor turned his attention to boxing, where the athlete’s earnings potential is far more lucrative, and put on a “superfight” against legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Rather than suspecting that McGregor’s move was demonstrative of a problem that required an actual solution, White simply punished McGregor, stripping him of his lightweight belt for inactivity. The Score reports that the UFC has never paid its fighters more than 20% of its total revenue, multiple pathetic steps below the aforementioned revenue sharing norms in place for major North American sports. Some of Dana White’s top stars have publicly lambasted him for his mistreatment of fighters. And yet, nothing has changed, and there is no evidence, in spite of fighters’ overwhelming support for unionizing, that anything will change. It is clear that these changes will not come from within. The only way White will change his ways is if his current arrangement becomes untenable, but as the UFC’s popularity continues to skyrocket, it seems less and less likely that such a day will ever come. It is incumbent upon the leaders of organized labor nationwide, not to mention the U.S. government, to impress upon White that there will be consequences if he continues to hamper unionization and deprive his athletes of their rightful paychecks. Opinion The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Wednesday, November 3, 2021 — 9 L esley Benedikt was driving home from the funeral of her husband, Josh Mitnick, when her phone rang. Josh, a former managing editor for The Michigan Daily, had gone on to report in Israel for Bloomberg News, the Wall Street Journal and other newspapers before he succumbed to cancer at the age of 50. The call came from a consultant to the Palestine Authority, who told her that Josh had always listened to him and, unlike many other outsiders, understood the Palestinian perspective. That message would have come as no surprise to anybody who knew Josh — either as a student journalist in Ann Arbor, or as a professional. That is how Josh lived his life and worked his craft: He was earnest and diligent, and always able to see the humanity in everybody. He was soft-spoken, serious, gentle and cerebral — unless he was watching Michigan sports, in which case he was neurotic, irrational, emotive and sometimes very, very loud. I knew Josh most of my life. Our parents were friends from their college days in Ann Arbor. The Mitnicks lived in New Jersey, and my family lived in Detroit, but the Mitnicks would often visit us when they made their pilgrimage to Ann Arbor. Josh was two years older than me, and I looked up to him. He enrolled at the University of Michigan and joined The Daily, and we’d sometimes visit him in Ann Arbor. He’d enthrall me with his stories about the paper, and I knew I wanted to follow his path. Two of Josh’s Daily contemporaries, Mona Qureshi-Hart (Class of 1995) and Yael Citro (Class of 1994), spoke with several of Josh’s Daily colleagues, who shared a wide array of memories with them. 1991 graduate Miguel Cruz, a news editor, remembers Josh as a calming presence at a time when The Daily was riven with factional infighting. “The thing about him that made the strongest impression on me was how frustrating he found it when people from opposite sides of an argument couldn’t find a reasonable common ground,” Miguel said now. “In his view, if we would just calm down and listen to each other, there was always a way that we could move forward and get back to solving the problems that were affecting all of us. He knew when to call me out for being more concerned about scoring points than about being constructive, and that part of Josh that lives inside my head is still making me a better person today.” Andy Gottesman, 1992 graduate, was editor- in-chief at the time. Andy and Josh started together as first-year students on The Daily. “I remember him as an extremely serious journalist. He had no interest in goofball politics at The Daily,” Andy said. Whenever there was a question or debate of how to move things forward, Andy recalled, Josh would say, “The New York Times wouldn’t do it this way.” And then, Andy says, Josh would promptly focus on the task at hand. “He loved putting out news every day. He was a newsman.” Daily contemporary Mark Katz (Class of 1992) started alongside both Josh and Andy and proceeded to study in Israel after his second year. In his eulogy to Josh at his funeral, Mark shared that Josh viewed the opportunity as one to elevate the news at The Daily. Josh had Mark string for The Daily from Israel. Mark would call in with his news pieces and dictate them into the phone. 1994 graduate Andrew Levy started on the opinion page but switched to news reporting, where Josh helped him make the transition. “Josh was super welcoming and wonderful,” he recalled. “He was a really good mentor. A lot of people didn’t have the time (between The Daily and school) but he made time for me.” 1993 grad Matt Rennie, a Daily editor, said, “He was someone who had a lot of personal and professional integrity.” Josh shared his love of jazz with friends and colleagues — with an infectious enthusiasm. 1994 graduate Bethany Robertson, one of Josh’s reporters, recalled tagging along with him to a free concert at the Michigan Theater. Karen Scholl, a 1995 graduate, news editor and friend of Josh’s sister, Carrie, remembers shopping for jazz albums with him. They both say the same thing now: “When I hear jazz, I still think of him.” Andy shares that as he worked, Josh would tap his fingers on the table. “He had a jazz beat in his head,” he said. My favorite memory of Josh came when we played together in the annual football game against the State News. In those days, the game was pure brutality: eleven on eleven, full tackle. Until that point, the game had been played six times, and the State News had won every time. In 1992 — my sophomore year, his senior year — The Daily finally got serious and spent some time practicing and installing plans. Josh and I handled the two safety positions in our two-deep zone. At first Josh, having never played organized football, was utterly terrified of the responsibility of having multiple opponents running through his area, knowing one false step could allow a touchdown. But he picked it up quickly, and even made an interception, in a shutout win — The Daily’s first ever. Josh told me that day that he felt terribly guilty that he had spent years watching Michigan games and shouting angrily at the defensive backs when they let the opposing receivers catch the ball in front of them. Having stood in their shoes, and having lived the fear of giving up a long touchdown pass (but not having allowed any), he swore he would never question them again. Josh’s legacy at The Daily and elsewhere is how he exemplified the journalist, the human that worked to understand and appreciate other humans. The immediate Daily Managing Editor prior to Josh, Kristine Lalonde, said, “We lost a mensch (this week) — we all can honor his memory by bringing more empathy and compassion to the world.” Shortly after Josh died, Yair Lapid, Israel’s foreign minister and prime minister-in- waiting, eulogized him on the Knesset floor. There are few journalists — if any at all — who managed to win the respect and affection of Israelis and Palestinians alike. His legacy as a journalist is the exact same as his legacy as a human being: to understand his fellow humans and bring enlightenment into the world. *** R eflections from Daily alumni on Josh Mitnick: Sept. 2, 2021 Bethany Robertson, Class of 1994 Josh was Bethany’s first editor and she remembers him as very serious. He was not looking for the fluff story, ever, and was always looking for what was underneath. In the middle of a nightside shift, he mentioned he was leaving the building. Bethany asked where he was headed. Josh replied that he was going to the Michigan Theatre for some free music. 501 Jazz used to put on an hour of free jazz one night a month. Being a relatively new person as a first-year at The Daily, Bethany was surprised to see this extra layer in her very serious editor. And she was even more excited as a first-year to be asked to join him. Bethany walked into the grand venue with Josh: “It was the most magical thing I’d ever seen, staring down the staircase at this free concert. I remember looking at Josh and he was so transfixed, so present. I still think of him every time I hear jazz.” Erin Einhorn, Class of 1995 Erin didn’t know Josh well. She was in her first year when Josh took the reins as Managing Editor. But she remembers extremely clearly an incident shortly after she started with The Daily. Erin explained that ahead of the Fall 1991 term, that there had been some rioting after the conclusion of a football game. As Michigan football prepared to play Michigan State, there was reason to believe that some additional rioting on campus might occur. Erin expressed elation and excitement at the idea of jumping into a big story because she was new and well on her way to her journalism career. “Josh was appalled,” she said. “He asked, ‘How are you excited about a riot?’” He was the grown-up in the room and understood that news isn’t a game. He understood the people behind it.” Erin indicated that is when she first learned that lesson. Andrew Levy, Class of 1994 Andrew mentioned he had a chance to spend time with Josh for about a year and a half. The way that Andrew remembers him is the one who was focused, who made efforts to mentor and loop in junior reporters, and someone who avoided politics among his staff. Andrew also remembers he was a challenging person when he first joined The Daily as a first year as a member of its editorial staff. “It was an intimidating experience so I tried news. Josh was super welcoming and wonderful. He was a really good mentor. A lot of people didn’t have the time (between The Daily and school) but he made time for me.” Andrew also recalls Josh’s commitment to Hillel and Jewish causes and how he seamlessly meshed this passion with his work and welcomed junior reporters along. Andrew recalled a story about Josh recruiting him to attend an American Israel Public Affairs Committee event for student journalists in Baltimore. They attended together. And on their return, at a time when flights were often overbooked, and people could get bumped and get a free plane ticket, Andrew and Josh were ready to garner some free travel by showing up early to the airport. Andrew fell asleep after they indicated they wanted to be on the bump and free ticket list and then woke to find the plane boarding and Josh gone. Apparently, Andrew had missed an additional call to the desk to confirm a bump, but Josh was able to take it. Karen Scholl (Sabgir), Class of 1995 Karen started at The Daily as a first-year on the news staff while Josh was managing editor. That fall of 1991, many presidential candidates came to visit campus and Karen was assigned to cover Democratic candidate Tom Harkin. Karen recalls how excited and passionate Josh was about covering the candidates. She marveled in it because she didn’t know anything about Harkin at that point. She recalls his immense passion for Israel early on. Karen, like Bethany, shares how Josh introduced her to jazz: “Whenever I hear jazz, I think of him.” She reflected on one of their visits to Tower Records and how she remarked on how pricey some of the CDs Josh was looking at were for how few tracks they offered: “He just looked at me and said, ‘It’s about the quality of the tracks, not the quantity.’” Carrie Mitnick, Josh’s sister, lived down the hall from Karen and came to know his family well for many reasons, including being big Michigan fans: “He shaped my whole Michigan experience, his whole family. He introduced me to so much.” Josh also introduced Karen to the joys of reading non-fiction — even at the beach: “We were on vacation at the beach and I looked over and there he was, reading Deborah, Golda, and Me. I thought you only read non-fiction if under duress. He was always learning things and wanted to know the world better. He was always a student.” Andy Gottesman, Class of 1992 Andy was editor-in-chief while Josh was on The Daily. Andy mentioned he took his family to Israel four years ago and reached out but wasn’t able to connect. Andy and Josh started together as first-year students on The Daily. “I remember him as an extremely serious journalist. He had no interest in goofball politics at The Daily.” Whenever there was a question or debate of how to move things forward, Andy recalled, Josh would say, “The New York Times wouldn’t do it this way.” As he would say something like this, Andy added that Josh would remove his spectacles and rub his forehead; “He loved putting out news every day. He was a newsman.” Andy remembers Josh’s affections for music. He would recall that as Josh was editing, Josh sometimes would tap his fingers on the table rhythmically: “He had a jazz beat in his head.” He also remembers the Mitnicks’ affections for Michigan football. He once invited Josh over to watch an Ohio State game and his dad joined in: “His Dad was a bigger fan than anyone!” Matt Rennie, Class of 1993 Matt was editor-in-chief following Andy and came from the sports desk during a streak of years when editors-in-chief came from sports. Matt recalls that when Josh was managing editor, he was sitting among a lot of big personalities: “The other leaders at The Daily were loud, big personalities. Josh was more reserved. He was someone who had a lot of personal and professional integrity.” That reservation was still powerful, however. Matt shared that you could usually see pretty well ahead how things were going to go with a group during an argument: “Josh wasn’t afraid, even if it was clear his was going to be a minority opinion, to stick to his opinion even if it might be drowned out.” Miguel Cruz, Class of 1991 Miguel was a news editor and weekend editor and provided more color about Josh’s management of conflicts in the newsroom and how he gravitated even at that time toward resolution of conflicts: “The thing about him that made the strongest impression on me was how frustrating he found it when people from opposite sides of an argument couldn’t find a reasonable common ground. In his view, if we would just calm down and listen to each other, there was always a way that we could move forward and get back to solving the problems that were affecting all of us. Remembering Daily alumnus Josh Mitnick JONATHAN CHAIT, MONA QURESHI- HART, YAEL CITRO Op-ed Contributors This flag was made for you and me ALEX YEE Opinion Columnist Dana White: modern-day robber baron JACK ROSHCO Opinion Columnist Josh Mitnick with his wife, Lesley Benedikt. Josh is pictured wearing a TMD crewneck. Image courtesy of Lesley Benedikt. Together, Josh Mitnick and Mark Katz hold up a copy of The Daily. Image courtesy of Lesley Benedikt. Read more at MichiganDaily.com Josh pictured with his wife and their three children. The family lived in Tel Aviv, Israel. Image courtesy of Lesley Benedikt. Josh pictured with his father, Stuart Mitnick. Both graduated from the University of Michigan. Image courtesy of Lesley Benedikt.