Spring Break
Veteran's Actions Violate Meaning Of U.S. Flag
Our Opinion
Issue date: 10/12/07 Section: Commentary
Last week in Reno, Nev., an American veteran named Jim Brossard pulled up outside of a local Hispanic-owned bar. Brossard had heard of the bar on local talk radio and had heard that a flagpole outside the bar was flying two flags, one Mexican, the other American. The Mexican flag was the topmost of the two.
Brossard wordlessly cut down both flags; the American he took with him, and the Mexican he left lying in the dirt. Before leaving, Brossard turned to a television news crew on the scene, saying, "I'm a veteran - I'm not going to see this done to my country. If they want to fight us, then they need to be men and they need to come and fight us."
Word of Brossard's vigilante activism quickly made the rounds, and the video found its way to most major television news outlets. Commentators regularly described superior position of the Mexican flag as "illegal" or "not allowed," and Brossard was widely lauded as a hero. Don King gave the veteran two free tickets to a boxing match at Madison Square Garden.
Brossard is not a hero and the widespread commendation of his (illegal) acts is truly deplorable. The straight fact of the matter is that Brossard trespassed on personal property, committed vandalism and stole an American flag. The news media must bear special responsibility for their unjust depiction of this incident: on Fox News, Brossard was described as "rescuing" the American flag that he stole.
It is true that it is against federal law to fly the flag of another nation above our own. However, the media failed to adequately note that the federal law which stipulates how to treat the flag, the U.S. Flag Code, is purely symbolic - the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that punishing violations of the Flag Code violates freedom of speech. The code is violated thousands of times per day: using the flag in advertising, placing it upon clothing, or even flying the American flag above the flag of a foreign nation on the same flagpole - all these acts are 'illegal.'
It's probable that the bar owner meant no offense, that he flew the American flag as a sign of love for this nation. Brossard's treatment of the owner and the media's treatment of Brossard, should shame us all. In cutting down those flags, Brossard desecrated the Constitution of which the Stars and Stripes is but an emblem. In truth, the publicity and response Brossard's actions evoked are merely symptomatic of a growing wave of anti-Hispanic sentiment sweeping the country, and not of any special reverence for the flag. When 'patriots' begin to swarm Ford Motor Company headquarters for illegally using the flag in their advertisements, we can begin to discuss proper treatment of the flag.
Brossard wordlessly cut down both flags; the American he took with him, and the Mexican he left lying in the dirt. Before leaving, Brossard turned to a television news crew on the scene, saying, "I'm a veteran - I'm not going to see this done to my country. If they want to fight us, then they need to be men and they need to come and fight us."
Word of Brossard's vigilante activism quickly made the rounds, and the video found its way to most major television news outlets. Commentators regularly described superior position of the Mexican flag as "illegal" or "not allowed," and Brossard was widely lauded as a hero. Don King gave the veteran two free tickets to a boxing match at Madison Square Garden.
Brossard is not a hero and the widespread commendation of his (illegal) acts is truly deplorable. The straight fact of the matter is that Brossard trespassed on personal property, committed vandalism and stole an American flag. The news media must bear special responsibility for their unjust depiction of this incident: on Fox News, Brossard was described as "rescuing" the American flag that he stole.
It is true that it is against federal law to fly the flag of another nation above our own. However, the media failed to adequately note that the federal law which stipulates how to treat the flag, the U.S. Flag Code, is purely symbolic - the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that punishing violations of the Flag Code violates freedom of speech. The code is violated thousands of times per day: using the flag in advertising, placing it upon clothing, or even flying the American flag above the flag of a foreign nation on the same flagpole - all these acts are 'illegal.'
It's probable that the bar owner meant no offense, that he flew the American flag as a sign of love for this nation. Brossard's treatment of the owner and the media's treatment of Brossard, should shame us all. In cutting down those flags, Brossard desecrated the Constitution of which the Stars and Stripes is but an emblem. In truth, the publicity and response Brossard's actions evoked are merely symptomatic of a growing wave of anti-Hispanic sentiment sweeping the country, and not of any special reverence for the flag. When 'patriots' begin to swarm Ford Motor Company headquarters for illegally using the flag in their advertisements, we can begin to discuss proper treatment of the flag.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 21
Jed
posted 10/12/07 @ 6:30 AM EST
""It's probable that the bar owner meant no offense""
Please tell me how a citizen (which the bar owner claimed to be) does not know what he was doing would be taken as an offense? Anyone with any sense would know that to fly a forigen nations flag over the one of the nation you are in is an offense in any country. (Continued…)
Essjayess
posted 10/12/07 @ 8:51 PM EST
You want freedom of expression? It's very simple; that veteran was using his "freedom of expression" to adjust the attitude of that bar owner. And any law, including the Flag Code, is not just symbolic, it is law. (Continued…)
Jason
posted 10/12/07 @ 9:46 PM EST
Although I agree that the manner in which Jim Brossard removed the two flags is disgraceful to any country's flags, I do not agree with the article stating that the "purely symbolic" aspect of the American flag being violated is an everyday occurrence that the law over looks. (Continued…)
Rick
posted 10/13/07 @ 3:10 AM EST
The whole incident strikes me as jingoism and xenophobia masked as patriotism. Mr. Broussard should be ashamed of himself. Veteran or not, Mr. Broussard has no right to deface or destroy other people's property. (Continued…)
jeff
posted 10/13/07 @ 8:35 AM EST
I really can't believe people are actually agreeing with this guys actions. You can't just rip down people's property because the symbolism is "disrespectful. (Continued…)
rodica
posted 10/13/07 @ 2:53 PM EST
By no means can an illegal action be corrected by another illegal one
Jim
posted 10/14/07 @ 10:24 AM EST
Those who criticize the reaction to Mr. Brossard's actions fail to see the anger building in America over illegal immigration. It also helps to tell the backstory about immigration raids in Reno and the Hispanic outcry that followed. (Continued…)
Jason
posted 10/17/07 @ 9:00 PM EST
Dear ???,
Why yes, I read the article. Thanks for the question. Did you understand my posting? Probably not.
I do agree that there are some aspects that are overlooked concerning the flag. (Continued…)
John
posted 10/18/07 @ 12:14 PM EST
Some of you people just don't get it do you. Freedom of speech does not equate to the freedom to do anything you damn well please. I don't immediately recall the dumbass judicial decisions that opened that gate, but the judges responsible for this downhill spiral were overstepping their bounds. (Continued…)
Anna830
posted 10/23/07 @ 1:51 PM EST
"violated thousands of times per day: using the flag in advertising, placing it upon clothing, or even flying the American flag above the flag of a foreign nation on the same flagpole - all these acts are 'illegal. (Continued…)
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