Just A Piece Of Cloth

Several years ago, I was reading a local paper, and in it they had a column that a woman had written called (after all) In this column, she had written about the American flag being burned. She had made the statement that we should not be upset because, after all it was just a piece of cloth, and this was just freedom of expression. This had upset me greatly, and others as well. To burn the American flag, was in my view very wrong. The flag is our national symbol of freedom. The following is how I responded to her published comments.


To the editor: Hello Cindy R. On reading your column, you have made some very valid points. I however do not agree with you, as is my right. I am 50 years old. When I was in school the first thing we did (before we opened our books) was to say the pledge of allegiance. This instilled pride in us, and gave us a feeling of just how great we are as a nation. It also helped us to remember what we fought, and were fighting for, and still fight for today. You do remember the words, don't you? Here, let me refresh your memory. It goes like this.


I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, One Nation under God indivisible with Liberty and Justice for All.


The pledge allegiance. Liberty and Justice for all, what a concept that is, but we no longer say that in our schools, such a shame. However, we now have children being taught in school that it is okay to burn the flag. That it is okay to tear away at the government, threaten teachers, spit on law enforcement, steal from someone for no reason just because they feel like it. Hey, I don't like the sound your voice teacher, are you try to mess with my fragile Ego? Please forgive me, sorry I raised my voice to you child. This happens in our schools all the time. Ask any teacher when is the last time the corrected a child without fear of being reprimanded for it. LETS GET REAL FOLKS!!

I cannot for life of me find it in my heart to stand by and let someone burn the flag. Burn the flag in front of me and you just as well call the doctor and the sheriff with the cuffs. Because UNLIKE YOU I WONT TURN AWAY. I will stomp that person in the ground. My son's, my grandchildren, my family, and hundreds of thousands of people like me, have made a choice to support that cloth.

I can just hear you now, what Neanderthal jerk that guy is. Well Cindy, like you said, that is my right. Let's take your comment about the flag in context quote from the papers last five lines quote (on second thought I think everyone who has fought for freedom under our flag was fighting for what the flag represents, not for the piece of cloth itself. If people look at it that way how can they take it personally when the cloth is just desecrated) UN quote.

Cindy let me ask you this. Have you seen a dying man clutch that piece of cloth, to gather his strength from the cloth, and charge the enemy to win the day? Or, have you see that cloth at the top of the hill, and and one man stands alone defending that cloth with his last breath as the enemy tears that cloth from his dying grasp. Have you ever seen someone buried with full military honors, and that cloth is laid across his or her casket till at the end, After the final taps are played, and the rifles crack 21 times that cloth is given to the survivors. Have you ever wondered just why on Memorial Day that millions of little that cloth are put on the graves of vets? I will give you a clue it's not for the fun of it.

Cindy, I Must confess to you, that I find it hard, very, very, hard to believe that you have any pride in your country, your home, or yourself. I can understand not wanting to get involved. For by becoming involved, God forbid, you have to make a choice between turning your head or standing up for what is right I understand it's easy to turn away from things that you just don't want to see.

But ask your self this, that vet in the wheelchair that caught some frag in his back who will never walk again, when that cloth is burned how do they feel the widow the orphaned the man or woman who still waits not knowing their fate of a loved one who is MIA now let's see.... Now most vets from World War I are dead a few are still around from World War II Korea Oh.. that was just the police action Vietnam? OH WHO THE HECK CARES !!! CLOSE MY EYES AND IT WILL BE ALRIGHT. Never mind Honor, Discipline, Character, Common Sense, Bravery, Sacrifice. We need to forget that, and be politically correct.

Morally right, Legally right, Politically correct, to pray or not to pray? Such choices are times hard to make. But made they must be. If by some remote chance I may have stirred some feeling deep down, their is yet hope for this world. But, if not I would like to take one last try.

Ask yourself:

If the American flag is (just a piece of cloth) that is OK to burn, why should we then get upset if a Bible is burned? Or how about the Declaration of Independence? All the books of one kind or another that you find, that is disagreeable. Hitler did that, and people like you turned a blind eye. They thought, like you. I DON'T WANT TO MAKE A CHOICE after all... on second thought, ITS JUST A PIECE OF PAPER.


Just a note from the author:

As I type this out, I have one last note for you. Food for thought, so to speak.

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) was a great author in his time. His writing of Tom Sawyer is a great book, and I have a first edition given to me by my grandmother, when I was eight years old. His wording, and story, tell of America's past, both good, and bad, and reminds us just how far we have came as a country. Now, because of our times, it is not politically correct to read this book in school as it was written. Such a shame! It is now being rewritten to be politically correct so our children can read it in schools.

Funny? I thought great works of litterateur were to teach our children to grow. At least my grandchildren, and great grandchildren will be able to read the UNCENSORED VERSION.

I wonder who is next? Shakespeare comes to mind, Romeo and Juliet ? Oh wait, to late, its been made a movie.

Heros Lost

When I was a kid I had many hero's. My dad, the lone ranger,sky king,the old man on the poster saying I want you,JFK, Mr.king, yes I was a 60's kid. We needed hero's then, to help us see the good we could do as individuals. A hero then could make us want to change the world for the better, and we knew we could if we just tried. We could sing to the wind, and knew in our hearts we would someday fly to the stars. All we had to do was dream, and be bold enough to take up the torch. To dream the dream of greatness, and act on that dream, that alone, that, was all we needed.

But someplace along the line, we lost our way. We became lost when our hero's were shot and killed,their mission in life cut short. We forgot what they were saying to us. Our dreams turned into fog. Our minds numb, we lost all our hero's. Forgetting what they taught us, we stumbled blindly in the darkness of our own making.

The world now is the same no matter where you go. War, poverty, famine,hate. city's filled with smog, cars bumper to bumper, gray Sky's, acid rain, a bleak picture indeed. Is it any wonder we grasp for straws? That, we become so hungry for what we lost that we try to create a hero. We see ourselves in comic book hero's.

Are their any real hero's left, or are we just chasing ghosts in the hollow shell of our minds. Can we turn a blind eye to the aging winds that sigh through the trees? Do we dare to forget all who have fallen in the name of freedom, only to rise again, and again, till their last breath slips slowly from life. Why is it so hard to find a hero without want? The song of freedom is strong in everyone. How to be a hero is in us all. Carry the old persons heavy sack, return the purse sitting on the park bench, hold the door for someone. Who knows what a change you can make. To that person you are a hero. A child and her mother came out of a store the other day, the child carrying a helium balloon. The wind tore the balloon loose from the child, and the child was crying. The woman must have thought I was crazy, I told her to wait a minute and I would go get her another one. I was amazed she waited, but she did. As I approached the van the little girl stopped crying and started to smile. I tied the balloon around her wrist then said their you go . The woman wanted to pay me for the balloon, and I said her smile is payment enough. With that left. I felt on top of the world doing that simple thing for that child. After all, being a hero to someone is supposed to feel good. All we need to do is remember. Hero's live forever in our minds. All we need do is to remember to try to help the other person. After all, isn't that what our hero's did? Changing the world one person at a time. We just forgot how. Maybe some day, we will remember. Before it is to late for us all.