I Pledge Allegiance

This isn’t an easy post to write because the subject has emotional layers that I don’t want to tap in to. The subject is flag desecration, flag burning in particular.

I do not support the idea of amending the U.S. Constitution to outlaw flag burning. Such an amendment was defeated in the U.S. Senate yesterday by one vote. Absent a constitutional amendment, flag burning is a protected form of free speech under the First Amendment. For me, that’s the issue: do we decide for the first time in our national history to amend the Constitution for the purpose of diminishing the scope of rights granted and protected under the First Amendment. I say, no; that’s a bad precedent to set and it can lead us to a place that is antithetical to the freedom that America represents.

I have read, but haven’t confirmed with my own research, that there are only three other countries in the world who have a legal ban on the desecration of their nation’s flag – Iran, China and Cuba. North Korea isn’t on that list but I’m pretty sure they would execute such an offender without regard to having a law on the books, given the fact that they execute people for far less reason. These countries make up a club that I don’t want to join. There is a reason why these countries are on this short list – it’s because repression is their means of control; and there’s a reason that all other freedom-loving countries are not on this short list, because the repression or control of the free expression of their citizens is antithetical to their sense of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

This amendment gets characterized as a patriotic litmus test: if you’re patriotic, you have to support it; if you don’t support it, then you’re not patriotic. That, of course, offends people like me, people who regard supporting the First Amendment as their patriotic duty. The Constitution and its Bill of Rights are what set us apart as a country; they are the bulwark of the governing model that we have offered to the world for over 200 years. We shouldn’t even consider altering them based on the actions of a very small number of people occasionally protesting something on Main Street, USA.

The emotional ante gets raised by tying this amendment to our armed forces, particularly our combat troops. We’re told that Americans have fought and died for the flag and that it is, therefore, a sacred symbol deserving of protection as a means to honor that sacrifice. First, that suggests that we have not honored that sacrifice over the last two centuries in the absence of such an amendment, which, of course, is not true and almost silly to suggest. More importantly, I believe that our men and women in combat have fought and died for something far more important than a symbol – they have fought and died for the bedrock foundation of freedom, for the actual substance of liberty and justice for all, including the freedom for their fellow citizens to protest their government through actions such as a flag burning. They have fought and died for everything that symbolizes their country, not just the flag. Shall we now set out to protect every such symbol by a constitutional amendment?

Flag burning has been an occasional part of American protest movements for a long time, so why only now has it become necessary to ban it? Because it has become yet another political Molotov cocktail, an incendiary device intended to provide explosive power in rallying the partisan “troops”, particularly in an election year. Once again, the leadership in Congress knew that this latest attempt would fail by one or two votes, so passage wasn’t the issue. Getting a recorded voice vote that could be used for political purposes between now and November is the issue. We will hear it referenced time and time again in the coming months.

I detest the use of the American flag in any disrespectful way, particularly burning it, ripping it, or throwing it in the dirt. When I see that I’d like to punch whoever is doing it right in the face. But, I will continue to defend their right to do it because that is what my country is all about – the freedom to speak our mind peacefully without being arrested, thrown in jail and convicted of a crime, as is all the rage in the flag-protecting governments of Iran, China and Cuba.

Flag desecration is an interesting subject to get into. I find myself just as upset when I see the flag turned into a tank top; or a pair of pants or a “patriotic” canvas lawn chair that someone sits on; or a handkerchief that someone blows their nose on; or a throw rug that someone puts on the floor; or any of the other hundreds of kitschy ways the flag gets used in “Americana” design, decoration or fashion. If we’re going to talk about honoring and respecting the flag, then we have a lot of things to talk about. Maybe the first step is to just get all Americans to stand up, take their hat off, stop talking, and put their hand over their heart when the flag passes or when the National Anthem is being played. Maybe the second step is to ensure that all flying and other use of the flag complies with the accepted protocol for such use. I wonder what the effect of those consistent practices would be on the use of the flag for other purposes. One of the problems is that far too many of the people who profess to hate flag burning don’t do much of anything else to honor and respect the flag on a day-to-day basis.

One of the senators who voted against the amendment is Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii. "Our country is unique because our dissidents have a voice. While I take offense at disrespect to the flag, I nonetheless believe it is my continued duty as a veteran, as an American citizen, and as a United States senator to defend the constitutional right of protesters to use the flag in nonviolent speech."

Senator Inouye knows a thing or two about fighting to defend the country and its flag. He is a World War II veteran who lost an arm in the war – the right arm that he used to salute the flag. He was decorated for heroism in combat with the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Service Cross, and the Medal of Honor. He went on to become the first person of Japanese descent to be a member of the House of Representatives and the Senate, having represented Hawaii since it came into the Union. His voice on this issue is unique and relevant. I suspect he is not the only Medal of Honor recipient who feels this way.

I love my country; I love my flag and what it symbolizes. I stand up for what it stands up for. I support the men and women in uniform and I appreciate those who supported me when I was in uniform. I honor the sacrifice of those who give life and limb in defense of my country, my family and the freedoms we enjoy. Nothing that any group of protestors can do in a city street or a town square can change or diminish that love, support and honor. I will continue to pledge allegiance to that flag no matter what any other persons does or does not do.