By DUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
HARLINGEN, Texas |...Tomorrow is Memorial Day, that short 24-hour set-aside we use to honor those who died serving this country's military in defense of freedom. Fly your flags, America. Fly them high and fly them with pride.
We have only one flag - the stars & stripes.
The poor rag has been abused of late. We've all seen the disrespect. It continues, however. Politics is to blame say those who fly it upside down these days. They are merely expressing some disappointment or another, perhaps feuding with neighbors out to push another dogma.
Martha-Ann Alito, shown in photo above with husband Samuel, the Supreme Court Associate Justice, is one who's disrespected the national banner by flying it upside down atop a cool-looking flagpole outside the Alito home in Alexandria, Virginia.
Yeah, what to think of it?
A good case could be made for some sort of punishment, as could another case for granting the Alitos a pass in honor of freedom of speech. That's what our servicemen and servicewomen gave up their lives for isn't it - to defend democracy and its freedoms.
As reported, 70-year-old Martha-Ann Alito took the steps outside to lower her banner and whip it upside down before running it back up to the top in a show of some disgust with a neighbor openly flying an anti-Donald Trump flag up the street in her quiet, wealthy neighborhood.
Okay. She's a sheltered housewife with a maid and likely has time for such angry displays. Should we crucify her? You can if you wish to do that. Freedom of Speech is for everybody. If you side by her, say it. If you don't, say that, too.
There is, however, something stupid in flying our flag upside down. I believe that, as I believe burning it is equally stupid. Fall to anger if you must, but fly that flag high and with respect. Too many Americans in uniform have died protecting it. Surely, Martha-Ann Alito, a Yale U. graduate, knows that.
Reports had it that husband Samuel was blaming his wife for the flag imbroglio. I doubt that. I suspect there was talk between the two before Martha-Ann went ahead with the silly plan. It was the public blowback that likely caught distracted Samuel by surprise. He's been busy with his own Right-Wing agenda.
The woman looks like an innocent suburban housewife, one with the face of general conviviality and the body of a person who looks in the bedroom's full-length mirror every morning and tells herself to layoff the cherry pastry.
Perhaps this ill-advised flag mess is a result of other problems Martha-Ann is currently battling. Who really knows about today's suburban housewives, right?
I do wonder if she'll leave the flag flying upside down on Monday, all day Monday...Memorial Day...
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