« The Story of Brian | Main | Network Broadcasting »
Thursday, September 15, 2005
Flag Amendment
W
ith Patriot Day upon us last Sunday (September 11), many Americans were proudly brandishing the flag in every way possible. But, in doing so, were these proud citizens actually breaking U.S. law?
T
he flag amendment currently under Senate review prohibits "physical desecration" of the U.S. flag, which means one cannot treat the flag "irreverently or disrespectfully." But, how enforceable would this inherently subjective law be? And, where do we draw the line - or, is there a line at all?
C
onsider these, among many "what if's":• Can one wear a flag on one's shirt or pants (torn blue jeans included)?
• Is a toothpick flag inserted into cupcakes disrespectful?
• Can one fly an old flag or one with fewer stripes or stars?
• What if, after our patriotic celebrations, a paper flag is thrown in the trash?
T
he irony of a prospective flag amendment is that, while politicians continue to further this initiative under the guise of patriotism, the reality is that this self-defeating law would actually undermine our liberties by, for one, limiting freedom of expression.
I
t's commendable that our leaders want to perpetuate the ideal of "Americanism," particularly as our collective morale diminishes as our sons and daughters continue to perish in Iraq, but at what cost? Emotion clearly is clouding perspective on the litany of legal challenges this law will pose - not to mention tax dollars that will be spent on futile attempts to enforce the unenforceable.
W
e should carefully consider the full scope of the legal implications of a flag amendment before we endorse a law that actually creates more confusion, problematic legal issues and impedes our freedom. America's politicians need not worry about how opposing this hot-button initiative will affect their image, or how their constituents will perceive their self-professed status as a patriot, because the truth of the matter is that they will be doing our nation's citizens a great service.
Posted by fm on September 15, 2005 at 12:48 AM