An Oasis

Flag Day

"You would honestly think there was an epidemic of flag-burning going on, endangering countless lives in this country." - Josiah Bartlett!

So, apparently June 14th was Flag Day in the U.S.A., to commemorate the day in 1777 when the Stars & Stripes was adopted by the Continental Congress. President Bush used his radio address to talk about patriotism, community and service, noting that "By showing respect for our flag, we show reverence for the ideals that guide our nation."

I remember being astounded by the 'flag obsession' the first, and subsequent, times I visited the U.S. Here in the U.K. I can't think of a single house which has a flag out front of any description, the Saltire (Scotland), the Union Jack (U.K.) and the idea that someone would have the EU flag (especially if we adopt the barcode design flag!) is amusing. A combination of these flags do fly at public buildings and other places wishing to appear grandiose.

As a symbol, the flag represents super-brand America, more potent than McDonalds & Nike, Disney or Coke. The Coca-Cola employee alledgedly sacked for drinking a Pepsi Product is at some level an echo of the ongoing flag defacement debate, most recently witnessed in the U.S. House of Representatives who approved (300 to 125 votes) a constitutional amendment that would grant Congress "the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States." Presumably the Senate will not ratify the amendment by a vote of 2/3rds for the simple reason that it is ridiculous to think that by outlawing desecration of the flag one can silence the critics of what that symbol stands for. Nobody burns a flag because they dislike what it is made of, or they don't like the colours - but are objections of a material nature so dangerous as to make prohibition of rectifying action justified? The Senate have voted similar measures down 4 times previously. It is cause for pause to consider however that 300 Representatives either believed in and voted for the amendment or were simply too scared of the repercussions to vote against it.

"Oh, say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

Posted by Paul at June 15, 2003 03:52 AM |