Thursday, June 23, 2005
Who Desecrates the Flag?
Our illustrious House of Representatives yesterday passed a measure toward a Constitutional amendment that would give Congress the power to outlaw desecration of the American flag.
To become an amendment, the resolution also must be approved by the U.S. Senate, and it would have to be ratified by 38 of the 50 states. That's not likely, but it is likely that the discussion itself will further divide our country. Chalk one up for the pander bears.
I don't know anyone who wants to burn our flag, but it happens. From time to time, we see flags being burned in the news, usually by protestors in another country, beyond jurisdiction of U.S. law. We can't do anything about those actions, except perhaps to ask ourselves what we have done as a nation to arouse such ire.
For those on American soil who would vent their grievances in this harmless way, I defend their right to do so. The American flag represents our right to burn it. It is precisely that right that makes our flag -- and the people it represents worthy of honor. Jailing protesters and legislating allegiance to symbolism is common under authoritarian regimes, but it is not acceptable in the Land of the Free, or the Home of the Brave.
Are the American flag and the ideals it represents so weak and meaningless that we must protect the flag by penalty of law? I hope not. I am more afraid of the anti-desecration folk. They desecrate our Constitution by the mere suggestion that we must surrender our First Amendment rights to protect their precious symbol. If those people have their way, that symbol won't be precious any longer.
To criminalize flag desecration would desecrate Old Glory much worse than the occasional flag-burning protestor. Such a law would make great folly of the U.S. Constitution and the very freedoms our flag symbolizes. If flag burning were outlawed, it would be the duty of every freedom-loving citizen to Burn a Flag for Freedom, because that flag wouldn't represent Freedom anymore.
All of this flag-burning rhetoric is just political pandering that distracts the People and their representatives from the truly important issues to which they should be attending. 40-million Americans have no health insurance, thousands of hard-working employees at big companies like United Airlines are losing their retirement benefits because of managerial duplicity and incompetence, we are spending $1-billion per week in an illegal war against an unarmed, sovereign country, the U.S. Air Force Academy has become an evangelical seminary, and the polar ice caps are melting. There are many issues that are far more important than the occasional flag-burning crackpot.
It's unlikely that yesterday's measure will actually become law, but rest assured that if and when it does, yours truly will be one small point of light in a huge constellation of flaming Stars and Stripes.
To become an amendment, the resolution also must be approved by the U.S. Senate, and it would have to be ratified by 38 of the 50 states. That's not likely, but it is likely that the discussion itself will further divide our country. Chalk one up for the pander bears.
I don't know anyone who wants to burn our flag, but it happens. From time to time, we see flags being burned in the news, usually by protestors in another country, beyond jurisdiction of U.S. law. We can't do anything about those actions, except perhaps to ask ourselves what we have done as a nation to arouse such ire.
For those on American soil who would vent their grievances in this harmless way, I defend their right to do so. The American flag represents our right to burn it. It is precisely that right that makes our flag -- and the people it represents worthy of honor. Jailing protesters and legislating allegiance to symbolism is common under authoritarian regimes, but it is not acceptable in the Land of the Free, or the Home of the Brave.
Are the American flag and the ideals it represents so weak and meaningless that we must protect the flag by penalty of law? I hope not. I am more afraid of the anti-desecration folk. They desecrate our Constitution by the mere suggestion that we must surrender our First Amendment rights to protect their precious symbol. If those people have their way, that symbol won't be precious any longer.
To criminalize flag desecration would desecrate Old Glory much worse than the occasional flag-burning protestor. Such a law would make great folly of the U.S. Constitution and the very freedoms our flag symbolizes. If flag burning were outlawed, it would be the duty of every freedom-loving citizen to Burn a Flag for Freedom, because that flag wouldn't represent Freedom anymore.
All of this flag-burning rhetoric is just political pandering that distracts the People and their representatives from the truly important issues to which they should be attending. 40-million Americans have no health insurance, thousands of hard-working employees at big companies like United Airlines are losing their retirement benefits because of managerial duplicity and incompetence, we are spending $1-billion per week in an illegal war against an unarmed, sovereign country, the U.S. Air Force Academy has become an evangelical seminary, and the polar ice caps are melting. There are many issues that are far more important than the occasional flag-burning crackpot.
It's unlikely that yesterday's measure will actually become law, but rest assured that if and when it does, yours truly will be one small point of light in a huge constellation of flaming Stars and Stripes.
