Flying the flag of unity

In response to a recent e-mail floating around entitled “Fly the Flag” and designed as a memorial for all those who lost their lives on 9/11/01: I’m all about flying our flag, but the flag is certainly not the “fabric of our country,” as the e-mail claims.

The real, important fabric of our country is individual unalienable liberty, as guaranteed by our Constitution. If this fundamental philosophy on which our entire country was founded is not made clear, then any such patriotic message is far from complete.

The e-mail does not even mention liberty, or the Constitution. I cannot help but wonder about its intent, but perhaps the originator simply did not think about this fact and got all caught up in the effort of encouraging national unity, which we most certainly need.

Perhaps we are all supposed to know that our flag represents our country, which is marketed as the land of the free. But somehow the notion of waving a flag while our government continues to transgress the Constitution without any regard to accountability for its unconstitutional actions, seems somewhat akin to a TV preacher thumping on and waving around a Bible while asking for money to fuel his limo.

I think everyone can stand united when we become victims of a foreign terrorist attack. However, domestic terrorism is much more deceptive.

Considering that our military and representatives take an oath of office to uphold liberty and defend the Constitution from enemies foreign and domestic, it seems clear that both are certainly [challenges] with which we should all be concerned.

And if/when someone decides to fly the flag upside down, this doesn’t necessarily mean that these people are anti-American. We should consider they are doing so to illustrate the belief that our country is in distress as a result of domestic terrorist attacks against our individual unalienable liberties.

So I urge everyone who decides to fly the flag for whatever reason, including the tragic 9/11 attack, to seriously consider the real importance of what the flag stands for.

— Bernard Baruch Carman
Liberty Liaison, Libertarian Party-Buncombe
Asheville

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

One thought on “Flying the flag of unity

  1. Kevin D. Rollins

    You said it, brother.

    To ensure the flag’s integrity, the country it represents must make every effort to institute and protect values worth protecting. Rule of law and liberty are those values that we require to maintain our prosperity and our decency.

    The danger of flag waving in the absence of these values has been seen again and again.

    /KDR

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.