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In this world there are good ideas. Then there is taking the face of President Barack Obama and slapping it on the American flag, then hoisting the thing up the flagpole at the headquarters of a Florida chapter of the Democratic Party. That, my friends, is the definition of a bad idea.
Oh, I know, I know, Mr. Obama is our nation's president. And the stars and stripes is a symbol of our nation. Putting the two together, with the president's face in the space where the stars generally sit, would seem fitting. But when are people going to learn that flag desecration by any other name is still a big fat no no?
A group of veterans put the folks at the Lake County Democratic headquarters in their place. They said they don't want to see President Obama, Republic Mitt Romney, or any other person up there because that's not the "real flag." And these guys got an apology from a suitably chastened chairwoman for standing up for what they believe in:
We were given this as a gift. We are proud of our president, we're proud of the United States, and we felt it was time to display that.
She sounds heartfelt. I'm willing to accept the party's excuse that they were trying to show pride in their nation. Case more or less closed ... except I did some searching, and those flags are out there, still being sold in many forms -- including the t-shirt above. It isn't this one isolated case in Florida that we have to worry about.
And as an American, that bugs me. I'm one of those corny people who gets all misty eyed on July 4, when they cue up the Lee Greenwood and everyone puts their hands over their hearts (seriously, it's embarrassing how weepy I get). When my kid's kindergarten graduation ceremony was patriotic themed, I got melty just watching a bunch of 5-year-olds pledging allegiance to our great land.
I have the same sense of pride as those folks in Florida, and that's why I am fiercely protective of our flag. I like it just the way it is for its simplicity. It represents the United States. And that's it. Not the president of the moment or the party that's "in charge" right now.
The flag is supposed to stay just the way it is because it represents the nation, not people's idealism or their partisanship. It's not about showing off how much you love your country to the people who use your bathroom with a stars and stripes toilet paper cozy. And it's not about Democrats or Republicans.
What are your thoughts on the flag being tampered with?
Image via Zazzle
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