The Senate yesterday failed to pass an amendment authorizing Congress to criminalize the burning of the American flag. The amendment vote was 66-34. Passage failed by one vote.

I have to say I have mixed feelings about an amendment like this. Don't get me wrong, I am against burning the American flag as an act of protest. I never have liked it since we began seeing it as a protest against the Vietnam War in the 1960's. Burning the flag is poor citizenship, disrespectful and just plain bad manners. But it is something idiots are allowed to do in this country. Creating legislation to counter idiots is always bad policy.

How can you legislate respect for a nation's symbols? How can a constitutional amendment teach good citizenship? I don't believe it can.

At the risk of sounding old let me say, "there once was a time" in this country that teaching respect for the American flag was one of the pillars of the educational system. Every morning in my elementary school we began the day with an assembly while the flag was raised on its pole to the sound of The Star Spangled Banner. We then pledged allegiance to the flag and marched back to our class rooms to begin the day. If it began to rain during the day someone would go out and bring the flag down so it would not get wet. And a group of students were designated each day to bring the flag down, fold it and store for the next school day.

The flag was never allowed to be displayed while tattered. It never touched the ground. When the flag was too old it was disposed of in a dignified manner. We grew up with a respect for the flag. It was a way of life. You can't teach that merely by passing a law. There was a time, now long passed, when we taught such respect every day.

On my shelf is a copy of the Boy Scout Handbook (1965 edition). The handbook devotes an entire section to the history and etiquette of the flag. Notice this from the handbook:

"The flag is far more than the red, white and blue cloth of which it is made. It is the symbol of our America. It stands for the past and the present and the future of our country. It stands for our people, our land and our way of life."

 The handbook quotes George Washington saying, "We will take the stars and blue union from heaven, red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity representing liberty."

A lot of the culture of the American flag is just not commonly taught today. If it were, we would not need a constitutional amendment to protect it. After all, we went a long time without seeing the need for one.

Showing disrespect for the flag is part of a wider societal problem. Since the 1960's American culture has become courser. Sexual restraint has loosened. Respect for authority is not always taught nor expected in many quarters. Our language with each other is changed as well. Political debate is more strident and movies and television hold up many examples where insult, put downs and sarcasm pass for social discourse.

The apostle Paul described our time in this well known passage. "But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come; for men will be lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God," (2 Timothy 3:1-4)

Next week is America's annual July 4th celebration. Strike a blow for the flag by taking another look at Old Glory with a deep respect for what it symbolizes. God has richly blessed America with tremendous physical wealth and resources. What we are and what we have comes from Him. We can show respect and appreciation for those blessings as we show due respect for the American flag.