‘Desecration’ of the American worker

By Ellen Ratner
This Fourth of July, the 230th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, is the appropriate time to examine exactly what is meant by the flag desecration amendment that was recently narrowly voted down by the U.S. Senate.

The proposed amendment stated, "The Congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States." If it had passed, it would be well on its way to being the 28th Amendment of the United States Constitution.

Dictionary.com says that the word desecration means "blasphemous behavior, the act of depriving something of its sacred character."

I am against the flag amendment. I think it is a waste of time, impinges on free speech and would take up the Supreme Court’s valuable time, as they would need to endlessly debate what would constitute "desecration." Is wearing a flag bikini "desecration?" I suppose it would depend on who was wearing it. The flag bikini, along with all of the other flag cups, plates, napkins, toilet paper and yes, even flag contact lenses, (seen at Rodger Hedgecock’s, "Hold Their Feet to the Fire," anti-immigration Radio Row), would be subject to banning by the Flag Desecration Police.

The United States Flag Code states that, "No part of the flag should ever be used as a costume or athletic uniform . . . should not be embroidered on articles such as cushions or handkerchiefs." Would any breach of flag etiquette be considered a desecration? The Supremes would have to decide.

Passing a symbolic amendment to protect a symbol of a nation’s character is just a smoke screen for a government that has allowed the nation’s livelihood to be desecrated. The New Yorker magazine pointed out an ironic twist to the recent flag political football in its cover illustration. Stereotypical Chinese workers are intently sewing American flags as though they are working against the clock. Demand is high for their labor, as the Internet is filled with Chinese import companies willing to make flags for Americans in any size and quantity wanted. Somewhere between 5 and 20 percent of United States flags are made in China (the statistics vary). This means that considerable numbers of Old Glory are made in sweatshop conditions in China.

Is that a desecration? You bet. To the members of Congress who would like to ignore free speech, as guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, having a flag sewn in China would deprive the flag of its scared character. Flag imports cost the United States 5.5 million dollars last year, and that doesn’t include all the cups, napkins, plates, ties, scarves and other items. Add to that the $200 million of imported Chinese fireworks and you have a real Chinese-made Fourth of July.

So why not make it an amendment to make sure all flags and related items are manufactured in the United States? With a negative "balance" of trade being a staggering $200 billion, we are seeing American manufacturing being burned up a lot faster than flags.

We could use the 5.5 million that we buy in wholesale flags to restore some of the 12 million in counterterrorism money to the cities; we could fund many college tuitions with the amount of fireworks we buy from China. We could fund all of the Katrina costs with the $200 billion trade deficit to China.

So, we should name the true subject of desecration. The American economy has been desecrated by moving manufacturing to China, thereby desecrating the American worker. Let’s add an amendment to the Constitution that really addresses the burning here, the burning of the hope of the American worker.