The guy is around 55 years old.  He looks like an auto mechanic.  He jumps out of a truck that’s plastered with American flags and there’s a picture of Osama bin Laden with a target over his face on the back window.  He’s wearing jeans and an American flag shirt.  There’s a dark sweat stain where the red stripe meets the blue field.

Back in the 60’s, hippies would get their ass kicked for wearing the flag.  Bandanas, underwear and shirts.  This was considered un-American and an affront to a flag that stood as the symbol of our great democratic society based on freedom.

So what’s changed?

The monstrosity of the World Trade Center bombing is, of course, one reason.  Patriotism is at an all-time high.  It’s been moved for the time being to the “What’s Hot” column.  People who would have never considered themselves patriotic now sport flag decals on the back of their cars and recant any notion that America has ever done anything wrong...ever. 

If ever there was a time to pass the Flag Burning amendment, or rather Anti-Flag Burning amendment, now’s the time.  Any politician voting against it would be pummeled before he could even explain that he voted against it because of the repeal of Roe V. Wade that was attached to it.

But I digress.

How sacred is the flag?  George M. Cohan’s original title for “Grand Old Flag” was “Grand Old Rag”.  The intent was a jovial familiarity with the flag, but the title was changed to avoid disrespect.

It should be no surprise that there are rather strict federal guidelines for use of the flag.  Take a moment to skim through the Flag Code passed by the 106^th Congress on 10/25/99.  Here are some excerpts from the section on respect for the flag.

8. Respect for flag

No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing. Regimental colors, State flags, and organization or institutional flags are to be dipped as a mark of honor.

(a) The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property.

(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.

(f) The flag should never be used as a covering for a ceiling.

(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 napkin 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.

(j) No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform. However, a flag patch may be affixed to the uniform of military personnel, firemen, policemen, and members of patriotic organizations. The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing. Therefore, the lapel flag pin being a replica, should be worn on the left lapel near the heart

(Note to self – Do more quoting.  It takes up space and looks impressive.)

For you lazy bastards, who decided NOT to skim the above section, let me pull out the relevant points.  (Note to self – Don’t quote any more.  You run the risk of losing people.)

-         You shouldn’t wear the flag

-         You shouldn’t use the flag to cover a ceiling

-         The shouldn’t be used for advertising purposes

-         The flag is considered a living thing

So, wrapping your self in the flag is disrespectful to the flag.  Burning the flag is actually required once the flag becomes too worn.

The Code seems to try to distinguish between “The Flag” as a “living thing” and the flag as a replica.  You can wear a flag decal or pin, but anything “printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkin or boxes or anything that is designed for temporary use and discard” is disrespectful.  Is a flag shirt, like the one worn by the auto mechanic, the same thing as a shirt made out of a flag?  Is sweating into a replica of the flag the same thing as sweating into the flag itself?  Is burning a flag shirt the same as burning the flag?

I wrote to the American Legion to ask, in a much less pointed way, about abuses of the American Flag.  MICHAEL D. BUSS (his name came across in ALL CAPS) who is the more case sensitively Assistant Director for the Americanism and Children & Youth Division responded promptly.

It should be pointed out that the Flag Code is simply a guideline for proper flag etiquette.  The law does not provide penalties for violation of any of its provisions.  The Flag Code is applicable to all citizens of the United States, as it is public law. 

No matter what the size of the flag, the provisions of the Flag Code are applicable.  We also suggest that common sense and respect be applied when displaying the flag.

We realize that many advertisements and for that matter Web Pages (such as ours) use "images" of the flag and this is perfectly acceptable.

Unless an article of clothing is made from the actual flag of the United States, there is NO breach of flag etiquette whatsoever.  There are many Americans who are expressing their patriotism and love of country by wearing an article of clothing that happens to be red, white, and blue with stars and stripes.  There is nothing illegal about the wearing of these types of "flag" clothing.

So wrapping yourself in the flag is not punishable by law, although is in bad taste.  Should you want to set fire to yourself while you are wrapped in the flag you can be arrested for suicide, but not for flag desecration.

About ten years ago, during one of the frequent flag amendment attempts, I was goaded into calling an AM radio talk show. The host paired me up with a veteran of WWII who was, not surprisingly, arguing against flag burning.  My point was simple:  What’s the difference between desecrating the flag and cheapening it by using it to sell product?  Did our fathers, fore and grand alike fight and die so that Chevrolet could appeal to patriotism to sell their cars?  I’m not sure that the vet got the point.  He kept calling me a communist and wouldn’t respond to any of my points.  The host seemed amused, though.

It comes down to what you take seriously.  In Islam, it is forbidden to create pictures of Allah.  There was a recent American commercial for an overnight delivery service that took place in heaven.  Jerry Falwell got it only partly wrong.  The World Trade Center disaster happened not because we’ve lost faith and strayed from God, but because we’ve lost faith and strayed from our flag.  All the flag codes and amendments won’t mean shit until we stop using our flag to sell product and show off.  We need to restore honor to the American Flag.  No commercials, no shoes, no shirts and no headbands.  Only then will burning it become the symbol of protest against oppression – the belief this country was founded on.