by Robert Gillis

Created on: February 02, 2007   Last Updated: September 07, 2009

In the summer of 2006, by a single vote, the Senate failed to pass a proposed constitutional amendment to ban desecrating the American flag.

Many Americans would agree that the issue was far more political than patriotic. CNN reported that, "The measure was the latest in a series of controversial election-year votes engineered by the chamber's GOP leaders in an effort to entice the party's conservative base to the polls in November."

Senator Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania), who approved the flag-burning prohibition, went further, comparing flag desecration to libel and child pornography.

This is election-year nonsense; this is distraction. This is a tactic to scare conservatives and get them to the polls in November. Beware! The flag is under attack!

The United States flag is absolutely beautiful. One hangs in front of my house. I get chills when I hear the national anthem played. I love the flag and what it stands for. I love this country. I have never served, but have great respect for all who have and who do now. I always make it a point to thank them for their service.

I am not defending flag burning, I am personally offended by it. But the action of burning a flag 'is' protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution. The Constitution should not be changed because certain expressions of the first amendment are unpopular.

Is there an outbreak of rampant flag burning of which I am unaware? I don't see any. But I do see dozens of homeless veterans outside the shelter near Government Center in Boston every day. And I often read stories about returning veterans receiving inadequate benefits or care, or no care at all.

Take the case of Herold Noel, a 26-year old army private, returning home after a tour of duty in Iraq. He is homeless. (Associated Press, 7/5/2006)

According to the Associated Press article describing Noel's situation, over 200,000 veterans are homeless.

"That" is desecration.

"That' is pornographic.

"That' should be the subject of heated discussion in the US Capitol.

While the larger percentage of our service people come home and go back to civilian life (or make the service a career), far too many come home to find themselves homeless, or sick, or fighting a different enemy here.

These men and women answered their country's call. They put themselves in harm's way. They were separated from loved ones and friends, endured hardships we can only imagine, and fought for our freedom. Some were shot at or experienced horrific combat conditions.

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