Don’t Tread on Me! – An Open Letter to Senate Republican Leadership

This letter originally appeared in Mr. Fields’ personal website, Black Is.

TO: Senate Republican Leadership
FROM: Walter Fields, Citizen
RE: Betraying our Values

Once again, you have proven your unfitness to lead this nation by trivializing the Constitution with your blatantly political maneuver to push a flag burning amendment through the Senate. And while you almost succeeded, I believe the American public, including many of your own constituents, see your actions for what it is: a blatant, self-serving abuse of power. And for the record, don’t preach to me about values or lecture me on what it means to be an American. For some time now you jackals have proven to be the worst threat to our democracy and the most egregious offenders of the principles that, though they betrayed them, our Founding Fathers at least had the foresight to commit to paper; if for nothing more than to gain political advantage.

Tell me what in the hell does burning a piece of cloth have to do with allegiance to this country? And, don’t insult my intelligence by suggesting that the symbolism behind the flag conveys it some sacred status. If you really represent what our democratic principles stand for, you would not need to hide behind the flag. Rather than fulfill the lofty ideals set forth in the Constitution, you want to engage in irrelevant flag waving. At a time when important issues are facing our country, you waste taxpayer money engaging in a demeaning debate over an issue that has no bearing whatsoever on the welfare of our nation. For the sake of scoring a few points in November you waste valuable time on a matter our Constitution has properly considered. The fraud you attempted to perpetrate on the nation with this amendment exposes just how cowardly and trivial Republicans on the Hill have become.

Spare me with all of your whining and self-righteous indignation. And don’t even think about pointing an accusatory finger. I should burn one flag for every year my ancestors were enslaved and subjected to Jim Crow, but still fought for this country or heeded the call to service; as my great-grandfather did in the Civil War, my father and uncle in World War II, and my aunt did as a WAVE, despite being denied their rights. And while I am at it, I should light a few up for all of those southern Black children that were cheated out of an education despite the flag being flown over their state capitols and over white schools that denied their entrance. And that flag didn’t do much to save Blacks from hanging from trees or being brutally murdered by white hooded terrorists who proudly proclaimed themselves Americans. So while you gorge yourself on taxpayer dollars and deem yourselves the guardians of the Republic, and wrap yourself in Old Glory, perhaps we should set one ablaze for each child that lives in poverty in this country while you pontificate on values. Talk to me about the flag when we have more than one Black senator sitting in the chamber with you. And if the flag means so much to you then why do you tolerate a symbol of treason – the Confederate flag – and allow that emphatically anti-American statement to share a place with the Stars and Stripes in the hearts and minds of many of your constituents. By the way, show some real courage and allow Americans to see the flag-draped coffins of the young men and women you have sent to die in an amoral folly in a foreign land, return to this country with dignity.

You have become a caucus of blubbering hypocrites, unworthy of the honor of serving in the United States Senate. And your behavior is an affront to anyone who truly does love this country.

Walter Fields is the CEO and Executive Editor of the North Star Network, a Black public affairs online news portal. He is a contributor to “News and Notes with Ed Gordon” on National Public Radio and a former contributor to the MSNBC cable news channel and MSNBC.com.

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