More election year bloviating on the part of our elected representatives.

And, as with all the other posturing that has gone on during this Congressional session, this is purely for show, is a waste of valuable legislative time and tax dollars, and in the end, does more to divide our country than unite it. So, given the nature of this administration, and this do-nothing Congress, it’s just what the doctor ordered.

Yes indeed, in a stroke of pure political genius, our elected representatives have proposed (again) a Constitutional amendment to ban flag burning, or more specifically, “the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.” The scary part is that this ridiculous legislation has a chance of passing this time.

Despite the fact that the Supreme Court has established the precedent that banning the burning of state flags is unconstitutional, and that the proposed amendment is in apparent direct conflict with the much more important first amendment, Congressmen and Senators have jumped on the political bandwagon to support this travesty. That includes many Democrats, proving once again that they are willing to be the nation’s chickenshits to complement their Republican chickenhawk counterparts.

I mean, God forbid our elected representatives should stand up for the Constitution. Certainly not in an election year. No, it seems to me that legislators of all political persuasion are losing their backbones and taking a “cut and run” attitude… They’re cutting up the constitution and running for re-election.

A few voices of dissent (and reason) have surfaced to remind the rest of our representatives that they have a responsibility to their constituents over and above their desire to get re-elected. Sen. Patrick Leahy stated, "The First Amendment never needs defending when it comes to popular speech… It's when it comes to unpopular speech that it needs defending." Even a Republican, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, showed a level of moral fortitude sadly lacking within most of the ruling party: "I think the First Amendment has served us well for over 200 years. I don't think it needs to be altered”.

If this amendment passes, it will demonstrate once again, that the prevailing philosophy in Washington is, as summed up so succinctly by our President, that “the Constitution is just a piece of paper.” And apparently, as far as Congress is concerned, not worth the paper it is printed on. And it looks like we’re in good company when it comes to outlawing flag burning. Currently, there are only three nations on the planet that outlaw the burning of their national flag… Cuba, China, and Iran. See any similarities here?