AlterNet: The Blasphemy of Flag Worship

We can expect to hear a lot of First Amendment-loving progressives condemn this Congressional initiative as inappropriate and dangerous. I would hope that the Christian right would join the opposition. Not out of a love for the First Amendment, but because of their devotion to the Ten Commandments.

Devout Christians firmly believe that the Ten Commandments should be etched in stone in our courthouses and emblazoned on the walls of every classroom. The message of the Second Commandment is clear. “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image… Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God…”

Can anyone deny that the American flag has achieved the status of a graven image?

Well, for one thing, if the Ten Commandments are to be allowed to be displayed, symbols from other religions should be allowed the same treatment; or no religious symbols should be allowed on display at all. But that’s another topic.

Yes, there’s been quite a bit of flag worshipping going on. These days, the thought of saluting something that is nothing more than a piece of cloth irks me. Not to mention I think it’s been exploited by our capitalist society.

The evidence that we literally worship the flag is overwhelming. Unique among all nations, we have a Flag Day, a Flag code etiquette, a national anthem dedicated to the flag and a verbal salute to the flag. Twenty-seven states require school children to salute the flag daily.

Let’s focus on the “Flag code etiquette”, shall we? By way of our friends at Wikipedia (also see this link)…

(d) The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free. Bunting of blue, white, and red, always arranged with the blue above, the white in the middle, and the red below, should be used for covering a speaker’s desk, draping the front of the platform, and for decoration in general.

I’ve definitely seen it used as clothing.

(i) The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard. Advertising signs should not be fastened to a staff or halyard from which the flag is flown.

And it’s definitely be used in advertising, as well as in embroidery.

But here’s the big one…

(k) The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning.

Yet, now there’s an amendment on the table that would prohibit flag burning. I hope it doesn’t pass.

As for the national anthem, I’d rather see “America the Beautiful” as it than “The Star-Spangled Banner”. AtB doesn’t focus on a piece of cloth; it focuses on the beauty of the land as well as… “And crown thy good with brotherhood/From sea to shining sea”. I think singing about that is a lot better than singing about a piece of cloth. *nod*