The Boston Phoenix leads me to Support Our Ribbons, which not only is a terrific way to support our beleaguered magnetic-ribbon industry, but allows Your Humble Blogger to design his own ribbon.
So many choices.
My first inclination would be to design something subtle and tasteful like “Support my ass!” Or, of course, as the site is Bostonian, the classic “Bastahds! Bastahds! Bastahds!” On the other hand, it would be nice to have “Redintegro Iraq” printed up. Or one in small letters saying “If you support the ribbon industry, you’re too close”. Or how about “My other car supports our troops”?
Ultimately, though, the point is that it’s a good thing these are a trifle too expensive to buy in large quantities, as the temptation to go through parking lots and substitute is way too high. Heck, I have enough trouble resisting the temptation even without rolling my own ribbons.
In other patriotic news, John Scalzi graphically illustrates a difficulty with enforcing the recently House-endorsed ban on desecrating Old Glory. YHB points out that the actual language of the proposed constitutional amendment reads “The Congress shall have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States”; it’s not immediately clear that if such a power is in the constitution that it would or could be restricted to only those flags that pass some test of specificity. In fact, I’m not sure that such a power, once enshrined in the constitution, could be held to any narrower test than, say, the power to regulate interstate commerce. That is, it will likely be held that the Congress has the power not only to prohibit desecration of the flag, but to, in that prohibition, define desecration and flag as they like.
Which, I suppose, leads to the utility of a nice stars-and-stripes ribbon that says “Support Flag Burning”.
chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek,
-Vardibidian.