It's My Flag, It's My Right

Freedom of expression. Oh yeah, you have it, if you're expressing the same opinions as everyone else. Sharing the majority opinion isn’t something I’m known for, but I can honestly say I don’t know anyone who thinks we should not be allowed to display the American Flag.

But apparently, somebody does, and now all hell is breaking loose.

First, was a remark made to J.E. that she couldn’t display her flags in her window, and someone in the apartment below removed his. Then she received a phone call saying she had to take it down because nothing was allowed in the windows period. We were disgruntled, but I didn’t think too much of it. Then I saw this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3kAfbVQwl8

and this:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=190081653437

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2009/10/17/news/doc4ad93893e311f016185961.txt

So is this just an uncanny coincidence, or a genuine threat to our nation’s flag? I don’t know about you, but I find the whole “everything has to come down”, “sports flags are also not allowed”, and “nothing is allowed on the lockers” too thin an excuse, and I don’t believe in coincidences, especially not when they come in threes.

The fact that these people are facing eviction for these flags is complete un-American. We are allowed to burn flags, wear rude T-shirts, and worse under the First Amendment and yet we can’t fly the flag because “someone might be offended”?

Well, if that someone is going to be so put out by my flag, they can get the hell out of my country! No one complains when my friends from other countries walk around with German flags pinned to their backpacks, or Mexican flags hanging off the rearview mirror of their car. If I’m not allowed to fly my own flag in my own country, what does that say to them?

Now I understand it is one thing to say you can’t have it in the window of your apartment, because it is technically the property of the apartment complex owner. But to say that you can’t have it on your car? Hello! That’s your property. To think that anyone could try and tell me what I can and can’t have on my car, which I paid for, maintain, and value as my own, ultimate personal space, is utterly absurd. The fact this even became an issue is mind boggling to me.

My flag is not in my window or on my car (I don’t believe in stickers, and I have no antenna to fly it on.). I have it on my bedspread. I’ve had that patriotic quilt for seven years, and I can’t help but wonder is someone going to say “You need to put that in the linen closet” and try to evict me when I tell them to take a hike?

Too many people have paid in blood for that flag and what it stands for. It’s bad enough that people are allowed to desecrate it and we can’t protect it, but to deny us the right to respect and cherish, and DISPLAY, our flag at all? Next we’ll be denied our right to sing the national anthem at football games, the Pledge will be banned from schools for reasons other than “Under God”. Soon we will be denied the right to respect and cherish our nation itself.