The 2011 NFL season got off to a patriotic start last week with a coordinated American flag display by 70,000 Green Bay Packers fans at Lambeau Field, the hometown crowd honored those who perished in the 9/11 tragedy

During the national anthem, fans held up placards to make a gigantic red, white and blue flowing-flag which could be seen from the moon . . . .

Such mass patriotism shoved this story from mere backyard sports-talk to the big table; the unbelievable cohesiveness displayed by the massive gathering is, dig this . . . being attributed to small-town USA being populated, with true-blue patriots, real-Americans willing to wear their country on their sleeves . . . backs n� chest, forsaking a potty/beer break.

Really . . .?

Tell me if I�m wrong, but it�s as if American patriotism is the exclusive property of only . . . White folks? Love-of-country can only flourish and express itself (in such a fanatical fashion) where real genuine authentic Americans dwell, i.e., where White folks live. And as if in much more traditional pinko-commie-socialist-Marxist/militant bastions of thought such as San Francisco, Atlanta or the Big Apple this flag-waving act couldn�t be pulled-off.

For the sake of argument, we�ll ignore the numerous patriotic contributions of Black folks and play along; I�m going to agree with this TEA Party talking point.

Americans of color haven�t yet reached the �Confederate re-enactment character level� and there�s legitimate reasons why. Diverse urban metropolises do lack this blind patriotic fervor which seems to run ass-deep in the �heartland of America.�

Why? Try common sense, any form of education, an overall enlightenment . . . but that�s too easy.

Lady Liberty�s book-of-justice and scales didn�t apply to Americans of color, (those who predominate America�s coastal megalopolises) freedom justice nor equality weren�t available for 2nd and 3rd class semi-citizens. No instead of the American Dream, we endured the nightmare of misery and mayhem, toil and trouble, trials and endless tribulation. . . but that�s yet-another column.

Let�s talk Square Business.

The Liberty Bell rang while Ol' Glory flew overhead as white guys - in a well known Jolly Rogers/skull & cross-bones style snatched the physical resources from American Natives and later Mexicans, but through it all extracted that wealth over the next few hundred years with the blood, sweat and tears of America 's only forced immigrants, African slaves.

Even the Romper Room study guide broke-down �how� the American Empire was constructed . . . by any means necessary - leaving a terrible taste in the mouths of those who were �utilized.�

Today, an enormous number, millions upon millions of those who prospered are (by-design) an insulated and isolated segment of this nation - White America, and today packaging itself as the �TEA Party�, wrapping itself in the US flag, while demanding of us colored folk - to forgive, and quickly forget the Conan-the-Barbarian like manner in-which the US reached global prominence - simply pledge our blind-allegiance to its continued cutthroat domination of the world.

A status attained via any means required. The end justified the diabolical means.

Of course, on paper, the US-of A is a somewhat groovy concept; the core-Disney thought itself is a �A+� term paper; One human... one vote, representative democracy, freedom n� equality coupled with capitalism. But based on harsh American realities; it�s far-fetched to imagine all, even most Black Americans, or Americans-of-any color would display a certain level of unquestionable devotion for Ol� Glory.

Nonetheless you�ve got endless military contributions by Blacks, starting with Buffalo Soldiers and Black Birdmen and not ending; we still bleed for a �main-stream� America which sees my little 5 year old daughter as a Nigger.

Consider Latinos, they�ve sent their sons off to the Arabian desert while the TEA Party politicians attempts to send those sacrificial soldier�s grandmothers and little sisters back via Greyhound to the deserts of Mexico.

Ohhh. . . ! How hypocritical it is this country called America.�

Let�s get down to both the nitty n� the gritty of what the US flag stands for . . . and has stood for.; Betsy Ross's nifty needlework flew over this nation as explorers, pioneers and settlers pimped n� exploited everything in their path - from Comanches to the buffaloes on to butterflies. This flag sanctioned the Trail of Tears and "No Dogs/No Mexicans signs," and condoned Indian reservations, broken treaties and WWII Japanese interment camps.

Hell, this flag flew over Sin-City casinos where Lena Horn, Pearl Bailey and Sammy could perform, but not consume a meal, and, it flew over coliseums enforcing apartheid with-in the nation�s major pastimes - sports, and still today rationalizes racial profiling, red lining and police brutality.

"Indivisible with liberty and justice for all" - gimme-a-blinking break! Who, tell me who buys into such frontier gibberish but the investor/privileged class of white males?!

How can the TEA Party radicals demand we bow n� salute a symbol which represented so many conflicting pieces of history? A country where today the "American Dream" is attainable for most American�s-of-color only if they can navigate their way through a white-male-made/tactically -laid-out minefield of racist, sexist, elitist obstacles.

Horatio Alger would have one hell-of-a-time going from rags to riches here and now, but it's the only path from the ghettos and burros for the average child of a darker persuasion.

Let�s cease with the cold-ass facts; Most of us Black folks have figured-out our complex, seemingly permanent predicament; life-long 3rd-class citizenship. Our sons and daughters can don the military uniforms of this country, be asked to defend the Tea Bagger�s sacred flag, to serve as sacrificial pawns in Baghdad. However our country doesn't want those same kids to socialize in suburban shopping malls.

Of course they can die for Wall Street's decadent desire to monopolize all the world�s Black Gold, but they can't buy a beer in trendy revamped down-towns. Note the current-climate this plays-out in - Congress works overtime to turn-back the clock to Strom Thurmond's "Good ol' days of 1947" by erasing the human, civil and economic gains of the last half-century.

Ain�t it funky now?

An absolute understanding of American hypocrisy permitted Rep. Andre Carson, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus leadership, to tell the truth about the Tea Party and the lawmakers in their hip-pockets who deem blacks as "second-class citizens" and would like to see African-Americans "hanging on a tree."

And . . .?

I�d like to know where the inaccuracies, falsehoods and half-truths are in his observations?

Billie Holiday captured both the anger and frustration bottled-up inside Black folks when she sung about Strange Fruit . . . well over half-a-century ago - while today Carson has articulated the gut reaction and feelings Black folks have when encountering these camouflaged modern day Klans-folk passing themselves off as flag-waving patriots.

All which separates these racist bastards from the folks who fire-bombed freedom buses and blew-up churches . . . the queen-size sheets the Tea Baggers cleverly refuse to done.

Carson's spokesman, Jason Tomcsi, confirmed the congressman's comments: "Tea Party members in Congress know when they vote against programs, they know who they're impacting. They have different priorities -� their priorities are to protect millionaires, oil companies and tax cuts for the wealthy. Those people aren't impacted by programs like child nutrition, Head Start, job training and job creation."

And . . . ?

As far as I�m concerned, Congressman Carson has descended from the mountain-top volcano with the burning bush truth . . . that truth being: within the TEA Party there�s a deep, deep-seeded hatred harbored for African-Americans - a disdain anchored within the story of the US, its WASP culture - and that livin n� breathin� hate is making itself seen n� herd in the form of the TEA Party.

There�s no reason, what-so-ever for Congressman Carson to apologize. In the same fashion Tricky Ricky - the Texas Governor stands by his �Ponzi� description of Social Security . . . Carson stands by his characterization of Rednecks as Rednecks.

Look LBJ couldn�t legislate morality, equality or civility, nor could Dr King pray and preach hard enough to make most, the overwhelming majority of White folks halt hating . . . everybody. Carson is merely delivering a keen observation about what he and millions of other folks with the brains the Gods gave them detect as unbridled, blind resentment, contempt . . . hate.

My Aunt Tallulah always said; Tell the truth . . . shame the devil.

For in truth we really aren�t wanted at Country Clubs like Augusta, corporate Boardrooms in the Silicon Valley nor sitting-on school boards in White Flight suburbs . . . predictably the TEA Party would like to re-segregate America. The half-ass token/symbolic diversity we see mask the shortcomings and failures of an half-hearted attempt to adhere to what the US Flag supposedly stands for - because equality and inclusion are alien concepts which contradict the Tea Party�s version of the American way of life.

BlackCommentator.com Columnist Desi Cortez was hatched in the heart of Dixie, circa 1961, at the dawning of the age of Aquarius, the by-product of four dynamic individuals, Raised in South-Central LA, the 213, at age 14 transplanted to the base of the Rocky's, Denver. Still a Mile-Hi.

Sat at the feet of scholars for many, many moons, emerging with a desire and direction . . . if not a sheep-skin. Meandered thru life; gone a-lot places, done a-lot of things, raised a man-cub into a good, strong man, produced a beautiful baby-girl with my lover/woman/soul-mate . . . aired my mind on the airwaves and wrote some stuff along the way. Click here to contact Mr. Cortez.