Semblance of a Whole

Flagellating the Flag

I'm going to have to go political on you again. Apologies in advance if I get a bit dramatic here, but this really frosts my fritters.

The Senate is supposed to vote this week on whether to amend the United States constitution to outlaw burning, flagellating, or otherwise desecrating the national flag. The House has already passed this bill, so if the Senate follows, the amendment will go to the states for ratification. The debate thus far, and the campaigns for and against that will inevitably ensue if the bill is passed are just about the most egregious and collosal waste of time and money that I can possibly imagine.

What does protecting the flag have to do with the proper role of government? What possible justification can there be for spending taxpayer money on this effort, which will do nothing, NOTHING to improve the lives of anyone in this country? As for the veterans who sensitivities this law would supposedly protect, I would hope they would be insulted by the suggestion that they were fighting for a piece of cloth or an abstract symbol. They fight for the idea and ideals that it represents. Those principles are worth fighting for because they cannot be undermined simply by an act of disrespect. In fact, they are made stronger by it. The truths which we hold self-evident shine all the more brightly when contrasted with falsehoods. As long as we allow the flag to burn, it will never be consumed. It is only when we try to smother the flames that the smoke gets in our eyes and blinds us.

</rant>