You're a grand old flag

http://news.aol.com/article/tattered-us-flag-angers-california-mans/604857?icid=main|aimzones|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Ftattered-us-flag-angers-california-mans%2F604857

Patriotism. I'm not against it. Inane bumper stickers and car flags probably help to stimulate the economy. I'm not against the military, either. They're just doing their jobs, and I'm grateful that someone will do it. I certainly don't want to.

But my God... obsessing over these slogans and symbols is destructive. Men didn't die for a flag. What they died for was a set of ideals. I don't like the idea of having laws or even unspoken rules attached to a piece of cloth that might as well be polka-dotted yellow and pink for all it moves me. This man's gesture moves me. A man's son is in Iraq, and he keeps a promise that their flag won't be taken down until he returns. Isn't that more beautiful than a perfectly-pressed Old Glory?

Purposeful destruction of a flag is disrespectful, but this man's actions are not. I wish people would get over it and listen to his story. It's respectful towards soldiers, or at least to one in particular.