Happy 4th of July!

While waiting for my water to boil for a righteous cup of joe, I read today's Dear Abby online. She discussed what should be done if a U.S. flag is no longer in good condition. As my girl scout cousin told me years ago, one is supposed to burn the flag if it is poor condition or if it has touched the ground. How ironic. The former is confirmed by the elaborate Ceremony for the Disposal of Unserviceable Flags conducted by the American Legion. Congress passed House Joint Resolution 10 which calls for an amendment to the Constitution authorizing Congress to prohibit the physical desecration of the U.S. flag. Click here to see how your Congressman voted. Mine is a douchebag as he voted in favor of this bullshit. Congress can't get over the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Texas court decisions in 1989 and 1990 essentially saying that expessive 1st amendment behavior trumps State flag desecration laws.
In these oppressive times, our country needs first ammendment protections. A viewpoint may be unpopular but peoople should have the right to express themselves. Back in the day, myself and lefty pal Fry attended a College Music Journal conference and we had the privilege of meeting plaintiff Gregory Lee "Joey" Johnson from Texas v Johnson (1989). We congratulated him and shook his hand. Unbeknownst to me until now, famed civil rights attorney William Kunstler represented him--how cool was that? Anyway, on this Independence Day, I feel as American citizens we should be able to have an independent state of mind. Tomorrow, give your Senator a call and urge them not to cooperate with the redneck mentality and the threat it poses to the 1st amendment.