a few words about the Fourth and the flag

There's going to be a lot written and said this week about the American flag, now that the Senate has (narrowly) refused to go along with the big push to amend the Constitution to prohibit burning it. Much of it will come from people who never wore the uniform.

American veterans have seen our flag flying under dramatic, unforgettable circumstances, often overseas. For me, it was at Checkpoint Charlie, where the American flag stood as a beacon of hope against the backdrop of a lifeless, dismal-looking East Berlin.

The words on this sign chilled the marrow of people who passed by it:

Looking over the Wall, an East German "VoPo" ("People's Police") officer looked back at me, reminding me why the American Army was in Europe.

I've sometimes wondered what he was thinking. I'm sure I looked like an American. He knew I was free to leave (after my tour of duty ended) and go back to a nation where, unlike him, I am free to speak, engage in symbolic protest, and make a jackass out of myself, without fear of jail thanks to a Constitution and its First Amendment. The United States has survived flag burnings. Where is East Germany? It is now part of a free Germany.