James-Speaks

Burn That Flag
We're Not Using It Anyway

The drama unfolds, conservative, loyal and patriotic Senators champion a constitutional comman^H^H^H^H^H^H amendment to relieve us the burden of watching the American Flag go up in flames. Apparently it has become such a problem that one hundred most distinguished men and women in America must take time to address this issue.

I know I have been traumatized daily by flag burning demonstrations in the neighborhood, at the store, everywhere. Thank God for the Republicans.

And now the Democrats to the rescue, defeating the amendment and saving our Constitution for more important issues, such as what, anything Democratic I guess.

The D's have the high ground on this one, but just barely. Their feet are still in the swamp though the nostrils breathe cool night air.

The problem here is they should have let it go. There is nothing left to protect.

The paradox of flag burning is that the flag represents our right to protest even if it includes flag burning. It's just a damned piece of cloth: it's the idea behind it that's important and if we prevent the burning with a Constitutional Amendment, all we have done is burnt the idea in its stead.

The flag represents other things as well such as the separation of powers among the co-equal branches of government, it represents the idea of representative democracy where the elected speak the truth, more or less, and think of the electorate as something more noble than fodder for their war machines.

I could go on but until we demand our Congress uphold the separation of powers and demand that President Bush enforce laws duly passed and signed, the flag is a symbol of nothing and merely a reminder of empty promises.