Of Burning Flags and Crosses
As challenging as it was, President-elect Malproddunt managed to step on his undersized [Editor’s command: STOP!] early Tuesday morning, yet once again, as he tweeted a proposal that demonstrators who burn the American flag should suffer consequences.
Loss of citizenship and a year in jail were two suggestions Malproddunt made, but coming from a man who would rather see a cross burning than a flag, I can only scoff at his buffoonery still one more time: The man is such a contemptible entity as to make George Bush, Jr, heretofore referred to only as W, look like the Dali Lama.
As Molly Ivins has so eloquently stated, “I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps himself up in the Constitution, over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps himself up in the flag.” How she could so accurately have described Malproddunt, before her death in 2007, defies explanation.
In the essay I spelled out the differences between patriots, of which I am one, and nationalists, of which the two most famous are probably Adolph Hitler and President-elect Malproddunt. This is what I wrote:
“There is much confusion over what constitutes a patriot and how that differs from being a nationalist. Succinctly put, a patriot supports his country, but recognizes that it is not perfect. A nationalist supports his country to the extreme, believing it can do no wrong, ever, and feels threatened by those who dis on his country.”
When I wrote “Face-Punched,” I got the distinct impression that folks were shocked that I would burn a flag; allow me to assure you, that nothing could be further from the truth. I love this country, though I can no longer call it mine. Frankly, I want nothing to do with what this country has become.
MY country, the one that existed when I was growing up, still featured men of honor, in charge of both political parties. These men had integrity and would never have allowed money to interfere with that. They had money but did not need to have it all.
These men still felt that American values included the family, and that meant the mom being at home to care of and guide the kids. Now that is impossible because both parents must work and the cost of daycare, plus the latchkey lifestyle of the kids, have led to a crushing decline of the family, as a meaningful unit in most people’s lives.
Either that, or else the grandparents are raising the kids.
Why must both heads of the household work? They must because the upper crust of this American stew, has gradually sucked every bit of nutritional value out of the dish. The cost of living has continued to skyrocket, the profits of the corporations, likewise, are soaring, and yet wages remain at an unconscionably low level.
27 of America’s biggest corporations paid no taxes in 2015. These rotting, bloated, obese leeches, suck the marrow out of the general population, and for what purpose? So that the wealthy who run this country can continue to rape its people and plunder its resources.
The one percent of the population, already living opulent lives of greed and excess, continue to squeeze, wrench and rip the soul out of the American population. I know this to be true, because otherwise, how do you explain a lout such as Malproddunt, being elected to this country’s highest position?
And now we are supposed to somehow draw inspiration from the symbol of greed and profit, the American flag? I no longer believe this to be true, if I ever did.
Whereas I have no wish to desecrate the flag, I do have a fierce desire to protect the rights of those who do. If I were asked to what end I served this country for close to two years of my youth, back in 1972-73, I would say it was to protect Americans’ right to dissent.
And now, in case you just woke up from a year-long siesta, is the time to dissent.
Speak up for those being intimidated in your presence, write letters to your congressional and senatorial leaders, keep informed as to the latest irrational/unjust/immoral appointments to the Cabinet of Hate and continue to passively/aggressively refuse to kowtow to an agenda of injustice.
And for Buddha’s sake, recognize that the actions of the president-elect are not those of a patriot-they are the actions of a despot.
He wraps himself in the flag of nationalism, while burning the Constitution with his bigotry and racism, and he doesn’t need any gasoline because he already has the flames from his burning cross.
As always, well said. Ugh.
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