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7/27/2003 09:16:00 PM | Timothy Bush Disrespects Flag  That is from Daily Kos, quoting US Code, Title 4, Chapter 1, Sec. 8 (g). On the Dartmouth Review's weblog, Emmett Hogan seems to try to excuse Bush and argue that Bush is not breaking the law: But that very law, in another section, grants the president leeway in this: "Any rule or custom pertaining to the display of the flag of the United States of America, set forth herein, may be altered, modified, or repealed, or additional rules with respect thereto may be prescribed, by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, whenever he deems it to be appropriate or desirable; and any such alteration or additional rule shall be set forth in a proclamation."I have added the emphases, because Emmett seems to not care that Bush can change rules of customs only by proclamation. Any argument excusing the President falls apart on the sole basis that there surely never was any proclamation altering the part of code quoted above. That law does not say that any action of the President, is by definition, respectful of the flag, as the President can do no wrong here. It would be an odd theory which held that every action the President does to the flag, even through forgetfulness or accident, is thought to automatically change long standing rules and customs, without the President even having to say so. Section 8 of the code begins "No disrespect should be shown to the flag of the United States of America; the flag should not be dipped to any person or thing." Yet the flag and its customs of respect should metaphorically dip for every action of George W. Bush? It seems that Emmett thinks that if Bush violates previous custom, it is custom that is wrong, not Bush, and custom that must bend to his will, whim, and every incidental action. Either Bush has decided it is respectful to sign autographs on flags and did not bother to tell us, or he did not realize he was being disrespectful (in which case, how could anyone think this gives Bush 'leeway' to change what Bush might not even be aware of?) If Clinton had done this, the right-wingers would be frothing at the mouth, saying it shows how unpatriotic Bill is; they would be concerned about the underlying customs. Bush's actions could not plausibly be said to show respect for the flag (unless you think our Great Leader's signature makes a flag that much more special; we owe our allegiance to him and his interpretations of our nation's symbols and he could never violate those, of course). Too often, conservatives allow patriotism and respect for our nation's symbols to be simply redefined by Bush's perogative, as in their minds the sovereign may never err. perma link |
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