I think flag etiquette is misguided altogether. Flags are for identifying post offices and, overseas, marking embassies where you might find people you can find your feet with, after spending a few months with the foreign natives around you.

Other than that, they encourage all kinds of bogus self-serving patriotism, of the ``I'm patriotic and you're not'' variety.

It starts well and ends badly.

An old John and Ken (KFI) show on it, that starts slowly but gets good, http://rhhardin.home.mindspring.com/pledge.ram that I agree with pretty much.

The national anthem is used in ball games as a great invention in marketing in the 19th century, causing a milling and unruly crowd to be quiet and pay attention to the beginning of the event, trading on that. Now it itself is a test of patriotism.

Two schools oppose it now, the America haters, and those holding out for the position that the genuine article should not require public display.

It's worst at commemorative events, giving rise to enormous amounts of public humbug.

Humbug. Or more likely this man showing a true felt respect for the symbol and what it stands for. But since respect is something you only hear when some one is "dissing" you these days, no wonder it's veiwed as humbug.

There may be some self serving individuals, but that is definitely not represented here. Those people deserve derision. As do those that who view honest respect for our national symbol as a marketing ploy.

You don't want to show respect for that symbol, fine, no one is or ever will force you. But do those that do a favor and at least try not to be derisive to those who honestly feel respect and choose to honor that symbol.

Why are you inclined to say ``honest'' before respect? Some distinction you want to make that you feel I'm missing, something about, say, my respect that makes it dishonest.

What we honor soldiers for is being called and going. Not in particular for dying.

Being called on and going is the essence of morality; it's honored because we recognize it in ourselves.

It's morality itself because being called on, being addressed, makes you non-interchangeable and unique : you are called.

The flag manages to conceal that, and to that extent ceremony is sham and makes no sense. Nevertheless it it popular.

Probably the guy in the wheelchair was called and went; that's what strikes you about the picture, not that he's standing for the flag. Probably it is his way of saying something about some buddies of his own.

The respect I talk about though reaches him as well as his buddies, because it reaches all who are called and go, the event of morality itself.

It does not reach ball games.

I'll stand. Don't have to justify it, don't need to explain it. My momma didn't raise no pussy leftist.