E. R. Miller – 7/4/06

This page was last updated on July 4, 2006.

Bush desecrated the flag; E. R. Miller; Beaver County Times; July 4, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Regarding Wednesday’s editorial ‘Flag Flap’:

“The article is so true in referring that the lawmakers (ha-ha) want to take the issues of the BIG problems away from the public.

“Well, if everyone had read the USA Week End edition in your newspaper on June 25, 2006, in reference to the do’s and don’ts of the American flag, they would see what a travesty this is. Our Mr. President signed his signature, on an American flag. Can you imagine such a thing by any citizen of the United States? But our president did this.”

[RWC] While the Flag Code states no “mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any nature” may be placed on or attached to a flag, I’d have a hard time calling a president’s signature a desecration. Should anyone, including a president, autograph a flag? No, but I believe this violation of flag etiquette hardly rises to desecration.

“Can you imagine such a thing by any citizen of the United States?” Actually, we see flag etiquette violations every day. How many flags do we see displayed at night despite the fact they are not illuminated? What about the flags we see whose edges are tattered? What about the non-all-weather flags we see flying in the rain?

“What a joke he is not only to our country, but to others as well. How quick the people forget. Of course, what does he care? His term will be over and he cannot be voted in again. Thank God for that.”

[RWC] In Miller’s previous letter, he/she claimed to vote for President Bush.

“How many people have noticed that every time there is a major happening in the news out of Washington, some really big issue comes along and simply takes over the real problems facing our great nation?”

[RWC] I didn’t know the flag desecration amendment (which I oppose) was a “really big issue” that “simply [took] over the real problems facing our great nation.”

“Enough of my complaining. We know Bushy Baby will be leaving. If we can just get rid of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum and state Rep. Mike Veon, maybe things will turn around. Seriously, let us pray for some major changes before we all go down the tube.”

[RWC] In at least two letters bashing President Bush, Miller simply engages in name-calling without telling us what’s behind the animosity.