I have an uncle named Richard. My mother tells me all the time how much I remind her of him. My grandmother, in her declining years, sometimes slipped and called me by his name. But we've never met. I only know him through their stories. He died in the service of his country, in Vietnam, four years before I was born. He was just 19. My mother cries for him every Memorial Day and every anniversary of his death. So I understand the emotional appeal of protecting the symbol of the country for which he died from those who hold that country in contempt. I understand it very well.
But when you compel respect for a symbol of freedom, it no longer stands for freedom. To me, that takes my uncle’s sacrifice, and the sacrifice of all other fallen veterans who gave their lives to defend liberty, and sells it on the cheap. The only thing that would ever make me want to burn an American flag is a law saying I cannot. Because there is another American icon which I hold in higher esteem than the flag – the Constitution. And the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression – not just the expression of popular ideas, or safe ideas, or inoffensive ideas.
This proposed amendment is a cynical attempt on the part of Republicans to wrap themselves in the flag and make those who hold the Constitution sacred come out "in favor of" burning flags. I don't think most of them give a damn about the flag, but would rather hide behind this particular emotionally charged issue than try to deal with the actual substantial problems we face. They want to change the subject. They want to make an oxymoron of our Constitution for their own short-term political benefit.
They should be ashamed of themselves.
I was had. My Michael Bolton-loving assclown of a boss told everyone I was on Student Council as an cruel joke on me. He let me off the hook after letting me stew about it for 24 hours or so.
I tip my hat to this display of evil genius.
So today at work I was informed that I have been conscripted into service on my employer's version of student council. It is a forum for people with no authority to effect change and who are perceived as not having enough to do. Every two weeks they get together for the purpose of bitching about things that aren't problems and jockeying for the attention and approval of those with the actual power. They pretend to be working on problems, and management pretends to take them seriously. It's a colossal time-wasting circle jerk.
Why was I selected for this dubious honor? It's my turn in the barrel. I haven't had as much of this sort of jackassery as most of the others in my department, so now it's my turn. Also, I haven't exactly been lighting the world on fire with my work output recently. (Okay, ever.) If I were my boss and had to select someone for the booby prize, I'd pick me too.
Oh well. I'm a whore. If I'm gonna take the money, every once in a while I'm gonna have to toss a salad. Maybe I'll at least get out of it some amusing anecdotes to share with you, my loyal readers.
Instapundit has this roundup, most of which has to do with the Karl Rove non-indictment. But he slips in a couple sarcastic mentions that "The Republicans are doomed", once from him and once from Scrappleface.
There has been a lot of that kind of talk around, and the truth is I pretty much hope it's true. I used to say that if I had to join a party it would the Republicans, but then I'd work to wrest control of the party away from the Bible-thumping busybodies. But now, I think I'd pick the Democrats and work to lose the victimhood lottery and America-haters. (But I don’t have to pick one, thank God.)
The Republicans have abdicated all claim to being the party of fiscal responsibility, and they seem to be convinced they can win in the midterms by riling up the base about gay marriage, flag burning, and the Paris Hilton Assistance Program, a.k.a. the repeal of the estate tax. Poke Bubba with a stick! Tell ‘im he might have to marry a fag! Get ‘im good ‘n’ pissed, and he’ll turn out to vote against John Kerry, whether he’s on the ballot or not!
I’m not impressed, and I won’t be voting for Republicans in November.