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Opinion

America The Beautiful, The Strange, The Divided

          No matter which side of a discussion a person may find themselves, it’s almost a universal fact that they will believe their position is the right one.  My thinking is, of course, just like that, but I will change my mind if it’s pointed out to me that the other side is correct…or at least MORE correct.

That is by way of introducing myself to anyone that is reading me for the first time.

          I vote Republican and I call myself a conservative.  Neither of those labels is set in concrete and if a Democrat turned out to be aligned with me on most of my thoughts, he/she could possibly get my vote.  To be a conservative, in my not-so-humble opinion, means that you’re for a smaller, less intrusive government, more consideration given to spending money which really isn’t yours, and enforcing the laws on the books.  Some might say that it wouldn’t be a good thing to enforce a bad law, and they’d be right.  The remedy for a bad law is to have it repealed.

          Recently, at Stanford University, a “discussion” of sorts became a hot topic on campus.  One of the fraternities, Sigma Chi by name, which was already considered a “bad boy” on campus, was under “investigation” and  had been on probation after an alleged drugging incident in January when some members of the Pi Beta Phi rowing team suspected that they had been drugged at a Sigma Chi event. The suspected perpetrator was not a Sigma Chi member, nor a Stanford student.  Sigma Chi had been meeting with a liaison between them and the university to discuss how the fraternity could become a better ‘ally of the university.’

          However, one suggestion, in particular, was very disturbing to members of the fraternity.  While discussing improving the fraternity’s image with the university,  it was offhandedly suggested that Sigma Chi remove the potentially discomforting symbol outside: the American flag flown in front of the house.  The recommendation insinuated not only that the flag made others uncomfortable but that its being flown tainted Sigma Chi’s reputation and, presumably, worsened its chance of survival.  It was also mentioned that the American flag, as a symbol, could be intimidating, aggressive or alienating. The tone further signaled that “they” found the mere sight of the American flag to be offensive.  The members of Sigma Chi wondered…since when is an American flag flown at an institution in the United States offensive?   It was noted that several students from other countries flew their country’s flag and nothing was said.

          In protest of the school’s suggestion, the house declined to remove the flag, instead choosing to replace it with an even bigger one. Some members, of course, abstained from the discussion about and decision to purchase a bigger flag.  The larger flag was then hoisted up, and the smaller one  was then framed and placed on display inside the house.  This decision was, a “silent but visible protest” against the classification of the American flag as a potentially stigmatizing symbol by a member of the Stanford administration.

          The vast majority of “public” schools in America today are failing their students and our country.  They have become, almost completely, “indoctrination centers” where the “talkers”(teachers, formerly) fill the heads of the “listeners”(formerly students) with one-sided, mostly untrue, information.  A new survey shows that 1 in 5 Millennials say the American flag is a “sign of intolerance and hatred.”  Not only do many kids feel that Old Glory is evil, but two in five also say it is OK to burn the flag.  It just so happens that burning an American flag is the ONLY proper way to dispose of it, BUT, there is a certain way it’s to be done, and it’s not throwing it on the ground, dousing it with a flammable substance, and setting it on fire.  The “State of American Patriotism Report,” which was designed to assess the patriotism and historical knowledge of young Americans, also revealed that six in 10 millennials (ages 22-37) believe the United States is racist and sexist.

          Millennials are not the only ones who lack patriotism, according to the report. Allegiance to the United States seems to be declining among all young Americans.  it is a perfect example of the self-loathing that the Democrats and the liberals who are destroying our schools are teaching to our young people.  The left is cultivating a society of Americans who hate this country. These liberals want a land where a majority of citizens feel that the U.S. is basically evil and that its founding principles need to be eliminated.  After all, the only way the left gets what it wants politically is to undermine the country’s morals…and, on elections, to promote as much voter fraud as might go unnoticed.  Taking note of that, it should not come as a surprise that the survey also found this: “When asked whether America’s future ‘should be driven by capitalism or socialism,’ 48% of younger Americans chose socialism.”  It is my not-so-humble opinion that anyone that chooses socialism doesn’t understand what it really is and how it really works…or doesn’t work.

          Parting shot: “The American flag is the symbol of our freedom, national pride and history.” Mike Fitzpatrick:  Michael G. Fitzpatrick is an American lawyer and politician and, not surprising, an Eagle Scout.  Not a bad guy to emulate.

Larry Usoff

Larry Usoff, US Navy Retired. Articulate. Opinionated. Patriotic. Conservative. Cultured enough so that I can be taken almost anywhere. Makes no excuses for what I say or do, but takes responsibility for them. Duty. Honor. Country. E-mail me at: amafrog@att.net

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