I thought you'd like her, GP. You know, I'm tempted to agree except I dig brunettes!

Okay, back to the hot potato. Someone who can speak so flippantly about burning a flag has perhaps never embraced it fully to begin with. No, I don't mean that they're totally unpatriotic, but rather, they haven't come to the point where they've truly fallen in love with our country. I believe that it's because we all tend to take so much for granted in this fast-paced, cellular, microwave society. I still recall the deep feeling of oneness that I sensed we all felt on 9-11-01 (perhaps I was wrong?), and how proud I was that day to be an American. But I predicted -- and, unfortunately, was correct -- that even that day would soon be forgotten, or at least, how we all felt as Americans.

Even that aside, I still proudly clutch the flag that was draped over my late father's coffin. He was a WWII vet. Although he didn't die in action, I still remember how his military funeral with all the rituals gave me goosebumps. And I still recall looking at that flag draped on his coffin and thinking how much he would have loved that gesture. You want to burn such a symbol of honor that countless, selfless soldiers have died -- and are still dying -- for? "No, but others should have the freedom to, if they want to." That's like saying, "Personally, I wouldn't shoot a cop, but it's okay if someone else does it." You'll say that's a bad analogy, but I say it's accurate, because as far as I'm concerned, trashing the flag is nothing short of criminal.

And hey, if it's not, then why stop there with this sort of "freedom of speech"? Why not flush copies of the Koran down the toliet (as Newsweek erroneously reported about our soldiers)? But, no, that outraged the liberals. (They want it both ways, you see.) Why not walk into churches and urinate on crosses? Why not defecate on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, or Kennedy's grave? Why not? It's the same thing, isn't it??