Reply #29: "It all started with excessive flag-waving and feeling too smug..."

[tjwash]

...about your country."

True that. All the extreme flag waving jingo spouting nonsense really got kicked into high gear under Reagan, and has just gotten worse since then.

I have never believed in any of that stuff by the way. I don't stand, or remove my hat during the national anthem (I get some stranger stares at ball games for that one.) I don't do loyalty oaths like the pledge of allegiance. When challenged about it occasionally, I just say "I was born in a supposedly free country wasn't I?" and leave it at that.

Right now I am keeping a close eye on the Pasadena church under investigation by the IRS for an anti-war sermon the minister gave. It's nothing more than a pre-emptive strike on the first amendment. I'm interested to see how many people even know that is happening right now.