News and Views

Today the Senate failed to pass, by one vote, the “Flag Desecration” amendment.

Now I don’t like to see the flag burned, stepped on, or otherwise mistreated. It represents my country, and despite its faults I’ve traveled around the world enough to know that it’s not a bad place to live, and we should appreciate the freedoms we enjoy here.

But “Freedom” is just the issue. If this amendment had passed the Senage, and been ratified by the states, it would have served no real purpose except to reduce our freedom. Freedom to criticise the country; certainly in an unpopular manner, and not a technique likely to win many converts to your position. But I think it’s an extremely important freedom, none-the-less.

If we can’t criticise the government, or show our outrage at policies or actions of the country in the strongest possible way, we have lost one of our most basic rights. What’s next to be outlawed: Burning pictures of the President? Playing “The Star Spangled Banner” with a heavy-metal rock music accompanyment? Showing the White House devastated by aliens in a movie? Making jokes about the President on late-night TV, or showing him as a bumbling fool on Saturday Night Live?

In the East Valley Tribune a few days ago a Veteran who had recently returned from Iraq is quoted as saying that he didn’t go to Iraq to fight for freedom, just to have it reduced here at home. Bingo!