[ random acts of alex ]

Further Evidence That It Is Neither For The People Or By The People

Two scary events in Washington the past two days. First the passing in the House of an amendment to the Constitution to ban the burning of flags. Secondly the Supreme Court deciding that local governments can take away private homes and land and give them to businesses.

First, flag burning isn't an issue. Period. When was the last time you saw one burned in the United States? Twenty years ago? And that was on television, I'm sure. Allow me to pull a statistic out of my rear end (yet I'm positive it is accurate), but 99.9999% of Americans have never seen a flag burned in their presence, nor seriously considered setting one on fire. The only people burning flags on a regular basis don't live anywhere near the United States, and they only do so when CNN or FOX news cameras are around. Hence Fox and CNN are the real problem. Stop watching them and this "issue" suddenly goes away.

And holy crap! Your local mayor can now come along, announce that Wal-mart really likes how flat your neighborhood is and how great of a parking lot it would make for their new Supercenter, and before you can sing "My country 'tis of thee" your casa, that you worked so hard to buy and make your own, is bulldozed and asphalted over.

Both of these developments work to make crystal clear the fact that no one outside of the White House, the Supreme Court, or Congress has any real control over their lives or whatever liberties or freedoms one thinks they have.

Oh, but you still have the right to wear an American flag thong. That's still ok.

posted by alex @ 6/24/2005 05:15:00 PM