Annoying realtor

Every Fourth of July, there is a realtor in my neighborhood who insists on placing those clich little American flags in front of houses in what I consider to be a cheesy display of salesmanship.

I guess he is lucky that the idiotic amendment to criminalize the desecration of the flag was not passed, as he never collects them afterwards and thus they are run over by cars, hosed into the mud by gardeners and end up lying in the gutter. I'd have to call that desecration.

While I abhor desecration of the flag, I do believe that criminalizing the act desecrates the Constitution and like the golden calf in the Old Testament, makes the flag into an object of idolatry, rather than one of reverence.

Were it not for the fact that I am a socially liberal, fiscally conservative Democrat, I would make an excellent consultant for the GOP and could get their inane amendment passed in a heartbeat.

I would simply combine the recent surgeon general's report regarding second-hand smoke into the flag-burning legislation itself and promote it on the grounds that the second-hand smoke from all those burning flags contributes to global warming and surely this would generate bipartisan support.

As there is little question that our nation is being run by idiots, I will simplify my expectations and just hope that my local realtor reads this letter and picks up his flags when the Fourth of July is over.

Happy Independence Day and peace to all. Larry Brown Agoura Hills