Independence Day
Tomorrow is the 4th of July. Late at night the National Public Radio(NPR)(the only perhaps 'free' media enterprise in the US) broadcasts the BBC World Service. There was a discussion on the American flag and what it meant to Americans. The American flag appears on bikinis, doormats, hats, toilet rolls. People have burned the flag and it was declared constitutional under the
First Ammendment:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
That's America. There was a reporter who said that displaying the flag was no longer done in New York but he claims that in the heartland there are still people who do that and think it patriotic. I was still in the car passing houses where the Star-Spangled Banner was on doorways as I heard him speak on, "...that is a bellicose kind of partriotism that we see that says that we Americans are right and you are wrong..". The BBC commentator went on to say that on this Independence day America stands divided on political and economic issues.
Yesterday at the BBQ I heard a comment that "Smoking was no longer considered fashionable." Currently the flavour of the month is that in many..err most parts of the world its no longer fashionable to say, " We are Americans. We are here to save you."
Interesting sidelight in the comments.