Recitation At Flag Folding Not “Government Approved”

Yes, E-Mailers, I did in fact see the Military Times story linked over at Memeorandum.

And no, I didn’t jump all over it, because frankly I’m just so (beep) tired of having to re-hash this stuff over and over.  Guess I’m going to have to, though…

The Story:

Flag-folding recitations by Memorial Honor Detail volunteers are now banned at the nation’s 125 veterans graveyards because of a complaint about the ceremony at Riverside National Cemetery.

During thousands of military burials, the volunteers have folded the American flag 13 times and recited the significance of every fold to survivors.

The first fold represents life, the second a belief in eternal life, and so on.

Michelle does a pretty fair job with explaining what is being objected to, though…

Here’s the banned recital:

These meanings, not part of the U.S. Flag Code, have been ascribed to the 13 folds of American flags at veterans burial services:

1. Symbol of life.

2. Symbol of our belief in the eternal life.

3. In honor and remembrance of the veteran departing our ranks who gave a portion of life for the defense of our country to attain a peace throughout the world.

4. Represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in times of war for His divine guidance.

5. A tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, “Our country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.”

6. Represents where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

7. A tribute to our armed forces.

8. A tribute to the one who entered in to the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on Mother’s Day.

9. A tribute to womanhood.

10. A tribute to father.

11. In the eyes of a Hebrew citizen, represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies, in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

12. In the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost.

13. When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost, reminding us of our national motto, “In God We Trust.”

STACLU notes: “All it takes is one whiner.”

Cao’s Blog calls it a slap in the face.

They are both correct, of course.  What I find it particularly annoying use the phrase “it’s not government approved”.

Here again, we come to governmental intrusion into the culture…. the governmental over-riding of the culture… the culture it was supposed to be protecting and defending. When we succumb to government intrusion like this, we are sacrificing our culture to the government.  And for what?  So the government can be considered “inclusive”?  When we stop being what we are, for the government, we have sacrificed everything.  There’s nothing left of us.