Letter to the Editor: Trump and the American Flag

The American Flag was originally designed to represent a country consisting of 13 states. It has been changed many times over the years as our country grew, by the U.S. Congress, to now represent a country of 50 states.

The American Flag has maintained a great deal of continuity over the years, but there is no requirement that it do so. Congress could create and establish a new flag of any design at any time.

The argument that the “flag” has to be respected is pretty much nonsense. Which flag? Should Congress come up with a whole new concept of a flag? Then what would we do?

The issue is not respect for the flag, but respect for what the flag stands for, and it stands for a lot. Among the things that it stands for is freedom of speech, another (per Republican Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in a court opinion) is the right to desecrate the flag.

Trump has never served in the military, in fact he has never served this country in any capacity. He certainly is not serving the country by attacking one of our most fundamental rights and by attacking the racial minority that is trying to exercise their rights.

I make no claim of speaking for the military or for veterans, but like so many others I am a veteran. I feel great pride in the insignificant role I may have played in insuring any and all Americans the right to express themselves and the right to select the form and format they think will give their concerns the greatest voice and impact. If that form and format is kneeling while the national anthem is played, and if they in good conscience feel that will best give voice to their concerns, God bless them.

Probably for a century or more, when most sport teams were nearly 100 percent white, no demand was placed on them to be on the field (or court). Also please keep in mind that 40 percent of those now serving in the military are minorities. There is no way to slice this other than that Trump is again playing the race card for his own political purposes as he has again and again.

Jim Riead

Egg Harbor, Wis.