The U.S. Senate today tried once again to pass a Constitutional amendment to ban flag burning. This time, despite the hopes of right-wing extremists, it failed again - this time by one vote. To the three Republicans with the courage to stand up to this hypocrisy, kudos! To the fourteen Democrats too spineless to stand up for America and freedom, shame on you all!The United States Code has a long list of requirements for the flag, mandating procedures for its manufacture, display and handling. Across our land, from sea to shining sea, these requirements are regularly violated with impunity and without consequence. For example:
- It is flown at night, unlit
- It is flown in the rain
- It is allowed to touch the ground or other objects beneath it
- It is raised slowly and lowered quickly
- It is manufactured to incorrect proportions and colors
- It is draped over car hoods and trunks
- It is printed on many items, such as paper plates and napkins, that are "designed for temporary use and discard"
- It is worn as part of sports uniforms and everyday clothing
- It is sold in many forms - flags, pins, paperweights, book covers, sneakers - often made in China - at a profit, sometimes to foreign companies
And yes, occasionally, somewhere in our land, it is burned in protest. Big deal!
This is America, supposedly the land of the free. People kill and die, often horrifying deaths, in the name of that freedom. That freedom must extend to all people, and to forms of expression that most of us find disgraceful and disgusting. Only by protecting those who would say hateful, malicious, immoral things - by our standards - can we be truly free to say things others find hateful, malicious and immoral.
This freedom extends to other areas. Only by protecting those whose religious beliefs and practices we find hypocritical or sinful are we truly free to believe and practice religions others find equally hypocritical and sinful. And only by allowing others to express themselves in ways we find reprehensible and abhorrent, as long as nobody gets hurt, are we free to express ourselves the way we want.
That is the everyday price of freedom.
Additionally, there is a practical matter. Any American who burns an American flag in protest on American soil will surely fail to accomplish whatever changes they are seeking to make. Why even bother to outlaw something doomed to failure? The ridicule flag burners face from all sides is far more effective than any law.
It is time to stop the hypocrisy. It is time to end, once and for all, this idiotic, asinine discussion of banning flag burning. It is time to ensure that our elected officials understand, in terms so plain and clear as to command their assent, that any attempt to ban flag burning is un-American.
Copyright 2006, Dan Jacoby
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