On a recent trip through the upper reaches of the Pacific Northwest, I was surprised to notice a marked increase in the number of Confederate flags on display. Not just on private homes, either; I saw them in uses car lots and store fronts as well. Now, I know this flag can symbolize a wide gamut of sentiments between "Yee Haw, I love Southern Rock" and "Don't let the sun set on you here, Boy" and I know most folks just like to talk big, still...

Then it occured to me that, in 41 years of life surrounded by, and demonstrating with, leftie activist types in Boulder and the Bay area, I have never ONCE seen anybody burn the American flag! This despite the fact that they seem to be popping up everywhere! Maybe that only happens in Kansas, I don't know - the point is:

even from a strictly authoritarian standpoint, wouldn't it make more sense to devote the government's (our!) resources to discourage the propagation of the rallying flag of a deposed seccesion government - the loser in a war that helped define us as a nation - than to worry about a vanishingly small number of confirmed Old Glory torchings?

Also, I think our flag might look a lot cooler if someone developed a flag that just burned ALL THE TIME! Wouldn't THAT strike fear into the hearts of our enemies!