We Were Burned!

We all swelled with pride as our flag waved during our July 4th celebrations this week. Many Queens homes chose to fly our nation's flag; Queens businesses proudly decorated their establishments with flags; several organizations placed flags in our borough's cemeteries to mark with honor the final resting places of our veterans, our heroes.
The United States Stars and Stripes is the most enduring symbol of our freedom. It leads our soldiers into battle and covers the coffins of our fallen. It flies above our monuments and government buildings and reminds us who we are and why we are free.
Some of us learned the history of the flag in our schools.
How it had 13 broad stripes and 13 stars in 1777, changing to 15 stripes and 15 stars by 1795. Congress passed the Flag Act in 1818 that set the number of stripes at 13 with 20 stars. That number of stars grew over the next 94 years to 48 and remained there for 47 years until a 49th star was added for Alaska in 1959 and the 50th star was added in 1960 for Hawaii.
No matter our level of knowledge or our willingness to demonstrate our patriotism, we all recoiled at the newspaper headlines late last month about seven flags burned by vandal(s) unknown in a Brooklyn neighborhood.
That act of desecration made us sick!
Flag burning had been outlawed in 48 states before a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1989 invalidated a Texas law. The Court ruled in Texas v. Johnson that flag burning is a form of free speech and, as such, is protected by the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution.
For the ensuing 17 years various legislators have tried to get an anti-flag burning amendment through the Senate with a requisite two-thirds (67) vote so it can be sent to all 50 state legislatures for approval. Once 38 states pass it, the amendment will be added to the Constitution.
Sadly, several national polls show that fewer of us - 56 percent today as opposed to 71 percent support in 1989 - seem to care about a Constitutional amendment that would give Congress the power to stop the physical desecration of the U.S. flag.
Sadder still, the vote on this year's legislation, sponsored by Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, was very close - a cliffhanger - losing by just one vote, 66-34.
Saddest of all - both New York Senators, Hillary Clinton and Charles Schumer voted against the amendment which would allow Congress to say how the flag can be protected and what penalties should apply if it is desecrated.
Countless Americans have died defending our flag since it was born and now because of party-line politics we once again are unable to prevent its destruction by fire.
We must protect our most sacred symbol of freedom and independence.
We must stop flag burning!
We urge you to call Senators Clinton at 212-688-6262 and Schumer at 212-486-4430 and let them know how you feel about the flag and their vote.