There seem to be two different views on the flag desecration issue. Some see it as a battle flag that symbolized those who fought and died for the United States. (That’s the United States, not America. I believe Mexicans fought for some American freedom as well…) I think that is awful. I don’t want our flag to symbolize war.

The other view is that it is a symbol of freedom. That I can agree with. If the U.S. flag is the great symbol of freedom, not being free to desecrate it makes it not a great symbol of freedom.

And my memory of the first people burning the flag were war veterans protesting. That would make both groups plans to make it illegal seem ridiculous.

Lileks takes great exception to an Ang Lee comment today and it just bugs me.

The first thing that comes to mind is very simple. Ang Lee has made a number of films and is the one actually capable of having the very qualified opinion he does. The second, and more crucial thing that hits me is that Mr. Lee’s statement is completely out of any context and without any way to know what exactly he means. Lileks takes the opportunity to tell us what Mr. Lee is saying. It’s senseless. Lileks knows no more about the context of the statement than you or I, but feels free to fill it out fully.

He has decided to harp on the word “free” and decided Ang Lee is talking about the state of “freedom” in the United States. That our ability to live our lives without our women being stoned to death for lack of head coverings means Ang Lee is a hoighty toighty egg head who has no right to assail our way of life.

It’s a very crass thing to take one sentence from an international film maker about his industry and tell the world that he is thus part of the liberal elite who would stab us in the back and feed us to terrorists. I don’t think we need to protect our borders and our Freedom from a prominent director who uses the word “free” in a negative statement about the US.

Lower your hackles Mr. Lileks. You are begining to see liberal elitests under every newspaper article.