Dissident Voice

June 5, 2003

So, the flag burning ban bill is back on the floor of Congress. Unfortunately, with today's need to keep a pseudo, fear induced, politician fanned "patriotism" boiling, having a large group made up of many politicians who never served in the military and have a desperate need to show that they are as brave as any poor American kid who charged a machine gun nest, a bill like this has legs. Even though the opposition to the US invasion of Iraq carried the flag with reverence at the anti-war demonstrations and flag burning wasn't viewed, the "I have a flag in my lapel so you know I'm patriotic" crowd will be screaming to give the flag protections not available to some of its citizens. (If a police horse tramples on a flag, the cop will get arrested, not the flag!)

So, as the fight may be lost this time, let's see what good could come out of this saluting fever.

Given the proliferation of riders attached to so many bills that get proposed in Congress, this Liberal might be willing to help push a bill against flag burning. If . . . the bill reads as follows:

1) Congress shall proceed on flag desecration in America, and use its powers to make flag desecration illegal in America. If funding is needed to enforce this, Congress shall institute a tax to provide all of such funding.

2) Congress shall proceed on hunger in America, and use its powers to make hunger illegal in America. If funding is needed to enforce this, Congress shall institute a tax to provide all of such funding.

3) Congress shall proceed on unemployment of those able to work in America, and use its powers to make unemployment of those able to work illegal in America. If funding is needed to enforce this, Congress shall institute a tax to provide all of such funding.

4) Congress shall proceed on providing for the basic medical needs of all citizens in America, and use its powers to make a lack of the providing for basic medical needs of those citizens illegal in America. If funding is needed to enforce this, Congress shall institute a tax to provide all of such funding.

5) Congress shall proceed on providing for the quality education of all citizens in America, and use its powers to make a lack of the providing for the quality education of those citizens illegal in America. If funding is needed to enforce this, Congress shall institute a tax to provide all of such funding.

6) Congress shall proceed on providing for the medical and retirement benefits promised to America's Veterans, and use its powers to make a lack of the providing for such medical and retirement benefits for those veterans illegal in America. If funding is needed to enforce this, Congress shall institute a tax to provide all of such funding.

7) Congress shall proceed on instituting a Federal standard on voting in national elections. It will guarantee that ALL ballots will be counted. It will certify the mechanisms used, be they "voting machines" or computer voting with verifiable paper trail ballots, to insure accuracy. While Congress can not mandate the means of local elections, having free local access to these same Federal voting mechanisms may prove an incentive hard to pass up. If funding is needed to enforce this, Congress shall institute a tax to provide all of such funding.

If those 7 riders passed, I'll volunteer to join the "Flag Burning" police. I'll know that all Americans have a stake in America and the flag will mean that much more to all Americans.

Jack Ballinger is a Vietnam Veteran, with a Bronze Star, 2 Air Medals, a Combat Infantryman’s Badge (CIB) and a bunch of other pretty military ribbons. “I was Honorably Discharged in 1971. Both of my grandfathers fought in WWI, and both my father and my father-in-law were Marines in WWII.” He can be contacted at: NYCHASpotlight@netscape.net