travisab1
02-05-2004, 06:46 PM
Rotton to the Corps.
Hard to believe ain't it?
February 4, 2004
BY NEIL STEINBERG SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
Here's his E-Mail address,
nsteinberg@suntimes.com
Here's the URL,
http://www.suntimes.com/output/steinberg/cst-nws-stein04.html
When can we get rid of those black POW/MIA flags that have been flying under the American flag for the past 30 years? Or are we stuck with them forever? I'm all for honoring vets, but the black flag has always had negative overtones, having originated in Rambo paranoia centered around the belief that American prisoners were still in Vietnam years after the war ended and the government was for some reason concealing the fact. The flags, in addition to honoring sacrifice, also suggest, unfairly, something shameful about the country, or at least they did. Now vets say they are just a generic tribute to all the prisoners of war and missing in action. Perhaps. But there are better ways to honor U.S. service personnel. The flags will probably disappear one by one, as those who care passionately about them move on. A good thing, too.
Warning!
Speaking of flags. The leafy suburban paradise of Northbrook, as well as other suburbs, tries to inform its residents of the current state of terrorist peril in a rather quaint fashion. They take the official warning color -- be it yellow or orange -- and fly it in the form of a flag, a plain square of color, under the American flag, on their civic flag poles. I live right by the Northbrook Village Hall and have noticed the flags, in fire engine yellow and land-a-plane orange.
I must admit, I didn't feel warned as much as amused. A village warning flag is only a notch or two down on the quaintness scale from a town crier or a lamplighter.
I called the village president, Mark Damisch, to try to find out who thought up the flags. He was enthusiastic, more or less. "I think it's a wonderful idea, though I don't know how meaningful it is,'' he said. "I just noticed them for the first time about a week ago.'' Damisch didn't know who decided to fly them -- he suspects the Department of Homeland Security recommended the flags in one of their many directives. But he isn't sure.
And while he said he laughed about the flags, he also found a note of caution in them. "It did remind me, even if for five seconds, that we are at war. I didn't think that's a bad thing.''
We are at war, aren't we? American soldiers are dying almost every day. It's amazing how casually people let that fall from mind. Maybe we could design a flag for that. A Doncha Know There's a War On? flag.
If you sit back and do nothing, the only future that Captain Michael
Scott Speicher has is to once again be listed as Killed In Action.
Please, help bring him home!
http://www.petitiononline.com/Speicher/petition.html
"There will never be a judge or jury, president or politician that
will ever tell me I can't stand up in public, place my right hand
over my heart and say 'One Nation Under God.' Every Veteran who ever
fought or died for this country has given me the right to do this
and no one will ever take that right away from me."
Nikki Mendicino-September 8, 2002
"After being involved with Veteran issues for four years now, I
truly believe that there are five reasons why we live in a free
country and they are: the Air Force, the Army, the Coast Guard, the
Marines and the Navy. They have made this the greatest nation in the
world and because of them I am one proud American."
Nikki Mendicino-September 18, 2002
"I've learned that our politicians do not own this nation, we do and
during this election year, I say that we take back our country from
the elected officials who just don't understand that the USA is not
theirs, it's ours. Instead of them caring about America and her
people, they care about political parties and it's about time that
we send those politicians to the unemployment lines."
Nikki Mendicino-January 24, 2004
"One hundred years from now, it will not matter how much money you
had, the sort of house you lived in or the kind of car that you
drove, but the world may be a better place because you were involved
in the life of a child."
Nikki Mendicino-January 24, 2004
Visit my Web Site!!!
http://www.nikkiusa.com
Nikki is the Veteran of Veteran's I was talking about in earlier posts. A Veteran who never fired a shot in WAR.
Thought you'd want to know!!!
Travis
Hard to believe ain't it?
February 4, 2004
BY NEIL STEINBERG SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST
Here's his E-Mail address,
nsteinberg@suntimes.com
Here's the URL,
http://www.suntimes.com/output/steinberg/cst-nws-stein04.html
When can we get rid of those black POW/MIA flags that have been flying under the American flag for the past 30 years? Or are we stuck with them forever? I'm all for honoring vets, but the black flag has always had negative overtones, having originated in Rambo paranoia centered around the belief that American prisoners were still in Vietnam years after the war ended and the government was for some reason concealing the fact. The flags, in addition to honoring sacrifice, also suggest, unfairly, something shameful about the country, or at least they did. Now vets say they are just a generic tribute to all the prisoners of war and missing in action. Perhaps. But there are better ways to honor U.S. service personnel. The flags will probably disappear one by one, as those who care passionately about them move on. A good thing, too.
Warning!
Speaking of flags. The leafy suburban paradise of Northbrook, as well as other suburbs, tries to inform its residents of the current state of terrorist peril in a rather quaint fashion. They take the official warning color -- be it yellow or orange -- and fly it in the form of a flag, a plain square of color, under the American flag, on their civic flag poles. I live right by the Northbrook Village Hall and have noticed the flags, in fire engine yellow and land-a-plane orange.
I must admit, I didn't feel warned as much as amused. A village warning flag is only a notch or two down on the quaintness scale from a town crier or a lamplighter.
I called the village president, Mark Damisch, to try to find out who thought up the flags. He was enthusiastic, more or less. "I think it's a wonderful idea, though I don't know how meaningful it is,'' he said. "I just noticed them for the first time about a week ago.'' Damisch didn't know who decided to fly them -- he suspects the Department of Homeland Security recommended the flags in one of their many directives. But he isn't sure.
And while he said he laughed about the flags, he also found a note of caution in them. "It did remind me, even if for five seconds, that we are at war. I didn't think that's a bad thing.''
We are at war, aren't we? American soldiers are dying almost every day. It's amazing how casually people let that fall from mind. Maybe we could design a flag for that. A Doncha Know There's a War On? flag.
If you sit back and do nothing, the only future that Captain Michael
Scott Speicher has is to once again be listed as Killed In Action.
Please, help bring him home!
http://www.petitiononline.com/Speicher/petition.html
"There will never be a judge or jury, president or politician that
will ever tell me I can't stand up in public, place my right hand
over my heart and say 'One Nation Under God.' Every Veteran who ever
fought or died for this country has given me the right to do this
and no one will ever take that right away from me."
Nikki Mendicino-September 8, 2002
"After being involved with Veteran issues for four years now, I
truly believe that there are five reasons why we live in a free
country and they are: the Air Force, the Army, the Coast Guard, the
Marines and the Navy. They have made this the greatest nation in the
world and because of them I am one proud American."
Nikki Mendicino-September 18, 2002
"I've learned that our politicians do not own this nation, we do and
during this election year, I say that we take back our country from
the elected officials who just don't understand that the USA is not
theirs, it's ours. Instead of them caring about America and her
people, they care about political parties and it's about time that
we send those politicians to the unemployment lines."
Nikki Mendicino-January 24, 2004
"One hundred years from now, it will not matter how much money you
had, the sort of house you lived in or the kind of car that you
drove, but the world may be a better place because you were involved
in the life of a child."
Nikki Mendicino-January 24, 2004
Visit my Web Site!!!
http://www.nikkiusa.com
Nikki is the Veteran of Veteran's I was talking about in earlier posts. A Veteran who never fired a shot in WAR.
Thought you'd want to know!!!
Travis