HB 1292 provides a purchasing preference for Indiana & U.S. flags manufactured in the United States with respect to such flags purchased by state or local government.
Again, I have no particular problem with the legislation. But, still, FLAGS!
A flag bill is kind of like Mr. Miyagi’s crane technique: “If done properly, no can defend.” Maybe the social conservatives could arrange to have the official version of the Indiana Constitution written on a flag and then propose an amendment to our new flag-constitution that banned gay marriage. Nobody could vote against *that*.
And then, of course, on the license plates.
This actually sounds pretty important. We can outsource the manufacture of things like structural steel, medicine, food, the reading of our medical radiology studies, etc. But for something important like the manufacture of a symbol that represents our nation, we can’t be too careful. A clever flag manufacturer from a rogue nation could subtract a star (Indiana’s star, maybe?!?), and then where would we be? This critical industry must remain within the security of our borders.
It is a statement folks, and sometimes statements can be important. This bill has the support of those folks whose jobs have been given away in steel, food, medical technology, auto, etc. It is not unreasonable for these folks, many of whom have fought for that flag, to insist we not add insult to injury. Their lives have been torn apart by the loss of their jobs, they shouldn’t be asked to salute a symbol manufactured in China as a result of the same trade agreement that took their own livelihoods.
Maybe they should ask that their country not facilitate the export of those jobs in the first place.
This is as useful as a perpetual Orange Alert. People who agitate about outsourcing of flags more than outsourcing of any other job are the types who loves the symbols of our country more than they love the country those symbols represent.
Sure it’s adding insult to injury. There’s been injury, and injury, and injury. But oops, there’s an insult. Now we’ve gone too far.
I wore the uniform. I don’t give two craps where my flag was manufactured, if most of the other manufacturing jobs have gone, too. I mean, I care about all the jobs. I don’t give an additional two craps simply because it’s flags we’re talking about.
Just an aside, but I figure the tendency to mistake the symbol for the thing it represents is the reason for the Biblical commandment against graven images. If another tribe comes in and wrecks your Bull-god statue, the tribesmen might think the god itself had been destroyed.
Outsourcing is a bunch of bull shit. I called the Holiday Inn in South Bend to make a reservation, and got a gal in Manila that was not understandable. If this flag flap wakes up a bunch of old foggies, then maybe this could be the straw that breaks the camels back.