Steve Dunleavy & Flag

All I know about Marykait Durkee - the " teen twerp ", " rebel

    without a cause " , " no respect for flag " , " brain - burdened "

    kid - is what your columnist Steve Dunleavy just told me.

         I am quite " liberal " but not the knee-jerk type and I do try

    to understand conservatives like Steve. I can understand the threat

    posed by an immature kid who scorns the Pledge of Allegiance, then

    becomes an overnight celebrity embraced by ACLU.

        Steve is at least guilty of over-kill in his column today. He

    sounds as if he personally wants to spank her.

       If I had a daughter like Marykait, I would try to convince her

    that refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance is an unwise way of

    expressing her belief that all is not well with the country.

        Little things like the Pledge of Allegiance are the social

    glue that holds a very diverse society  together. Millions of

    people living together in a country simply have to agree on

    something.

         It is a fact that the whole world believes that Free Speech

    is a reality in this country. Showing respect for patriotic rituals

    is way of showing respect for those ideals that the whole world

    yearns for.

         An examination of  American newspapers should convince any

    open minded person that there is no THOUGHT CONTROL in the United

    States.

        I am convinced that Mary could write an essay in which she says

    that she does not believe in God, that our government is corrupt,

    and that   American society is too violent - and that essay if

    polite and respectful in tone - could win an award from the American

    Heritage Foundation !