Proper Public Displays of Patriotism

After eight long, hard years of America being in war I’m really getting tired of having to explain the basics of patriotism to some in our society so lacking in basic education!  But, education, education, education is an on-going challenge and it must be addressed.  I’m talking about how to properly public display the National Colors, our Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, as well as how to properly display other national flags and symbols (like the POW/MIA Flag or Military Branch Flags) and State Flags.  It is a simple thing to look up how to display just our American Flag by itself – I like the American Legion’s website http://emblem.legion.org/  For those that take a moment to look closely, you’ll find instructions included when you purchase a flag – all you have to do is read the rules!

What has got my ire up now is that there are a few business bullies and corporate clowns that actually think they can tell people they can not fly the flag or make other symbolic expressions of patriotism in their yards or windows – as well as some crazy HOA (Home Owners Associations) honchos that don’t know it is a violation of the U. S. Constitution to even try to tell people they can not express themselves!

What is wrong with these people?  Don’t they get it?  Everyone has a right to fly the flag – or, not!  I’m not suggesting that anyone that doesn’t fly the flag is not doing their duty.  But, no one, and I mean absolutely no power on the face of the earth is going to ever get away with making me take down my American Flag I fly appropriately outside my patio!

Oh, it’s about the four little, teeny-weeny holes I put in the wall for the mount?  BULL!  I’ll be more than happy to repair those when I leave at my own expense!  Especially in a time of war, and even more so in a time where Americans are in harms way in two wars, I’m going to show my support for all of OUR Troops, OUR Military Families with the most hopeful symbol for all of the world to see – in my little corner of the earth!

Now, after fighting to fly my flag (and educating my neighbors that they too have every right to fly their flags) – we learn that some egomaniacal nuts power tripping on an all mighty Home Owners Association are objecting to a Military Family displaying their Blue Star Banner!  This makes me so livid my blood begins to boil!  The Blue Star emblem symbolizing that a family is a Military Family with a member of their family away in harms way has been around since WWI – how dare anyone disparage this noble expression of love for all of us and the civil liberty and freedom our military protects!

What’s next?  Telling our Gold Star Military Families that they can not public display their loss of a loved one?  There is nothing funny about this sort of oppression people!

I’ve just got a couple of words to say, like “NO!” “ENOUGH!”  So, let’s all support http://ga3.org/campaign/starflagact, isn’t it sad we even have to waste valuable time?

Since so many have never learned, or worse yet taken for granted or just forgot, the debt we owe all of the United States Armed Forces – obviously we will all have to waste some of our time reminding these nuts they don’t know what they’re talking about in writing pathetic, unpatriotic illegal policies that violate our rights to publicly display our support for America (including their rights to do nothing) and supporting OUR entire military and all of OUR Military Families! 

I think we should politely explain the historical facts and appropriate etiquette only once!

If that doesn’t work, then we should take the time to do a little research, get all of these nuts names, titles, telephone numbers, snail-mail and e-mail addresses and make them publicly “famous” and “infamous” all over the internet and with every major news group – maybe then they better understand freedom of expression as guaranteed under the 1^st Amendment of the United States Constitution?

Oh, you say it’s really about either supporting or not supporting the wars?  BULL and NUTS!  How someone makes such stupid assumptions is not even relevant!  I, like so many, do not support the war in Iraq, but fully support the war in Afghanistan – and we all should be supporting all of OUR Troops and Military Families regardless of politics.  Don’t even try to make the argument into some stupid, pathetic, partisan political issue!

Anyone having a problem with anyone attempting to oppress their freedom of expression feel free to send me an e-mail; I’ve got a lot of patriotic friends in the press and politics that will be more than happy to explain what it means to be an American today!