My family celebrated the 4th of July with a cookout, fireworks, flying the flag and some reflection about the freedoms enshrined in our Constitution – foremost, the rights of free speech and religious choice enshrined therein.
That is particularly timely as our president sends masked thugs to pull students off the streets for expressing their views and even suggests the deportation of American citizens for their statements.
A recent letter to the editor said that anyone who burns the flag should go to prison. The author needs to reflect on the 1st Amendment: the burning of the flag is explicitly acknowledged as protected speech by the Supreme Court. Our rights may be hanging by a thread but remain precious: to salute the flag while abandoning American principals is idolatry not patriotism.
James D. Moyer
Epsom