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opinion:
our view
Gouging in times
of need
For only $14.99 (plus shipping and handling), you can show
your American pride with a special package of one huge flag
for the front door, another two for your car windows, and
several flag decals for the children to wave while they play
in the yard.
This is a real
infomercial. People are selling flags on television, promoting
them with cheesy commercials, and ultimately, taking advantage
of the American peoples' grief to sell a product.
President Bush
has urged the nation to keep spending money to help the staggering
economy. Commercials for American cars have flag-waving people
happy to drive off in huge Ford trucks. Forget Bush trying
to recruit young men and women for the military. Just keep
spending those American dollars.
We are drowning
in a sea of our own patriotism. We are being forced to believe
that we must fly flags to show that we are proud to live in
this nation.
Like Bush says,
"Either you're with us, or you're with the terrorists."
But what about those that aren't with either, those that support
this nation, but don't want to see it erupt into a Holy War?
Are we with the terrorists, or with 'us?'
We believe that
it shouldn't take a tragedy to make you proud of your country.
It should be ingrained in our heads and hearts the freedoms
with which we are given every day.
Using the recent
acts of terrorism to capitalize and make a profit is just
plain wrong. Some are even going so far as to steal flags
from cars and re-sell them. Isn't that un-American?
We think so. And
we reserve the right to keep our car windows blank, and our
house doors clear. This is our right as Americans. We still
hold on tightly to freedom of speech, but don't need to wave
a huge flag to remember that. And we certainly don't need
to spend American dollars because Bush says we should.
So spend your $14.99
if you want to. But we reserve the right not to. And that
does not make us any less American.
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