If you ban the burning of the American Flag because it supposedly desecrates what our soldiers have died to protect (funny - I don’t see soldiers out protecting the flag over the supermarket from lightning), shouldn’t there also be a ban on using the flag to bring everyone down to “celebrate their independence from high prices at your local car dealer and/or furniture warehouse Fourth of July Independence Day Sale Spectacular”?
How about a ban on Memorial Day sales pitches? “Remember all those who have actually died in the service of this country, often in hostile environments most of you would have a heart attack in, by getting a Free Hot Dog and a chance to win a new sofa set on us!”
I know that this kind of commercialism is here to stay. Personally, I think that it really does cheapen the meaning behind some of our holidays. Why aren’t more people up in arms about big business’s war on memorial day? Unlike the bullshit crusades against the so-called “war on Christmas”, some of these holidays actually have a potentially good national meaning that is completely - COMPLETELY - washed over. “Support our troops and celebrate your freedom by getting a new Honda at Zero Percent Financing, this weekend only!”
These proposed constitutional amendments to protect the flag and protect marriage do nothing of the sort. They’re stupid ass wedge issues. If you want to really protect marriage, do something about the divorce rate in this country; shut down the 24 Hour shotgun chapels in Vegas (does that not make more of a mockery of this “blessed institution” (cough) than anything?); boycott Budweiser for cheapening marriage with its image of a man getting married over and over in Vegas for a free case of beer; boycott television sitcoms; get “Desperate Housewives” off the air; support federal aid policies that help low income families so that financial stress is less likely to be a factor in separations and divorce; hell, why not make adultery laws with severe punishments like some countries that wobble daily between friend and foe?
Is a constitutional amendment defining marriage as being a union between a man and a woman really going to do anything to this country’s divorce rate? Is it going to suddenly put an end to single parent homes? Is it going to cut down on adultery? Murder? Foster care?
Not one goddamn bit.
And it’s the same goddamn thing with the flag burning amendment. I personally believe there are many other ways to desecrate the flag, our troops, and our history, and it’s all accepted as perfectly legitimate as long as there are free balloons for the kids.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.
Posted by Jeff Shell at
10:45 AM
