** In all the talk of "values," we must never forget that the highest value is a living person. Love this forthright observation by a young person in Maine. I think everyone in congress who voted FOR the flag-burning amendment should be thrown out of office in November solely because it betrays a terrifying lack of prioritization of values.
By way of DailyKos.
By Bill in Portland Maine on Flag burning
Kids (from Maine) say the DARNDEST things...
The American flag stands for the fact that cloth can be very important. [...] You can tell just how important this cloth is because when you compare it to people, it gets much better treatment. Nobody cares if a homeless person touches the ground. A homeless person can lie all over the ground all night long without anyone picking him up, folding him neatly and sheltering him from the rain.
School children have to pledge loyalty to this piece of cloth every morning. No one has to pledge loyalty to justice and equality and human decency. No one has to promise that people will get a fair wage, or enough food to eat, or affordable medicine, or clean water, or air free of harmful chemicals. But we all have to promise to love a rectangle of red, white, and blue cloth.
Betsy Ross would be quite surprised to see how successful her creation has become. But Thomas Jefferson would be disappointed to see how little of the flag's real meaning remains.
Charlotte Aldebron, wrote that in '02 for a competition in her 6th grade English class while attending Cunningham Middle School in Presque Isle, Maine. Four years later, it seems even more relevant. (Hat tip to Nonie3234 for the link)
No comments:
Post a Comment