I am in the process of tracing my ancestors back before the Revolution. My great-grandparents were all, both sides, children of veterans of the War of 1812. My family has served in every war this country has ever had. We have many papers, including confederate money, a Union officer's cap and ball pistol, and a cannonball from the Civil War. Two of my uncles were highly decorated in WWII, one of them carrying shrapnel near his heart for the rest of his life, turned to alcoholism to deal with what he saw and did, finally taking his own life in his 70's because of the nightmares of his time as a youth defending our country.

Just because I would like to see peace and would like to encourage a WORLD of peace using a flag which shows OUR earth, a photograph taken from one of OUR spaceships, does NOT mean I rescind or scorn my citizenship of the United States. Just because I do not want young people to become cannon fodder, does not mean I do not treasure our country and its freedoms.

Where I live, flying the flag has become a symbol of extremism; it has been co-opted by those who still think of African Americans as niggers, who call Chinese "chinks" and who think gay men make great target practise. Do I want to join them in a show of patriotism? No, thank you, not THEIR kind of patriotism!

Funny, troll, I never figured a black ribbon as being "pc." I have a thank you card, sent to my grandmother by President Garfield's widow. The envelope and letter are outlined in a heavy black border. Black armbands have always been a symbol of mourning. Using a ribbon has become a way for anyone to show their support for various causes, including pink for breast cancer, red for awareness about drunk driving; are those too PC for your taste? My black ribbon on our tree, on my mailbox, and on my car let my neighbours and others know that I am in mourning for all of the loss of life; that I am sad and subdued. Pardon me if I don't feel like jumping up and down, waving a symbolic piece of cloth. I am offended that you have ridiculed the use of black ribbons.

Shame on you who ridicule those of us who would at least hope for something better than a world at war.

Sinsull, I respect your flying the flag in support of the firefighters and all. If I were living back in CT, or anywhere else back there, I would do the same.

kat