Would putting shaving cream on an SUV be more harmful when it has a Support Our Troops magnet on it? Does a brick wall become inviolate when you inscribe the word “freedom” on it?
When does a symbol become so valuable that even the material it’s printed on becomes sacrosanct?
When it’s the American Flag, of course.
Congress is working on another attempt to constitutionally ban flag burning. Proponents argue that the flag represents all of the key principles that so many revolutionaries and Americans have shed their blood defending. Thus, the flag should become a protected symbol.
Then again, there’s Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., who said, "If the flag needs protection at all, it needs protection from members of Congress who value the symbol more than the freedoms that the flag represents."
In other words, flag burning should remain legal because there are times when we need to be reminded that we are burning down our own house of freedoms.
There’s probably a pretty close correlation between supporters of extending the Patriot Act and supporters of a flag burning ban amendment. I’m more interested in seeing star spangled banner flying than wrapping it around me as a security blanket.
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