This fourth of July I was enjoying the usual cook-out buffet, everything looked quite patriotic, Red White and Blue everywhere, including of course the table ware, including the napkins.

Every time I wiped barbecue sauce from my mouth, it was into an American flag. Would burning a flag be more irreverant?

There are countries which forbid the representation of their national flags in any form other than a flag. This even extends to wearing the flag. Such laws are probably to prevent the juxtaposition of their patriotic symbols with impropriety. Would you say wiping one’s mouth or feet on the flag might be an applicable example?

In this country, we’re only concerned about flag burning, the symbolic repudiation of our country’s questionable actions. Maybe that is worse.   Writing on US currency is illegal. So is writing on the lids of missile silos.   Here’s our chimp-in-chief on a rare occasion, doing something legal.