Richard Quaintance, Published in The Star-Ledger on June 24, 2005

I was disturbed to learn that Congress is moving forward with plans to amend the Constitution to ban the "desecration" of the flag. Congress is moving to protect the symbols of our freedom, even as it attacks the substance of that freedom by considering further invasions of Americans' privacy and civil liberties. Supporters of these moves will use the "no" votes of opponents as a hammer at the next election to label these representatives unpatriotic.

When I asked my congressman to vote against this bill, I hadn't considered how deeply my concerns derive from my Army service in the Korean War. It's easy to wave a flag or pin it on your shirt to proclaim your patriotism but not so easy to do so when your life's at risk. Congress should work harder to defend the liberty our flag stands for instead of confining it.