Mr. CRAIG: Mr. President, Today is a day of great significance to me and many Americans. In 1949, after decades of unofficial celebrations, President Truman signed an Act of Congress that National Flag Day would be celebrated each year on June 14th. Sadly, this national holiday goes unnoticed by far too many Americans. I wish to make a few brief comments about our Nation's flag on this day of celebration and remembrance.
Whenever I get a chance to speak with foreign visitors to the United States, I like to ask about their impression of the United States, especially if it is their first time visiting. Time after time, they express amazement at the abundant presence of the U.S. flag, not only in Washington, D.C., but in cities and towns of every size across the nation.
Truly, flags are flying everywhere, not only at government buildings, but at restaurants, parks, malls, gas stations, along highways, not to mention inside and outside private homes. Flag pins adorn lapels, flag stickers grace our cars, flag designs make for popular home decoration, and on Independence Day, our clothing often takes on the theme of Old Glory.
Clearly, we Americans love our flag and love displaying it. It is an expression of patriotism, reverence, and love of country.
From 1776 to today, from the Marines who fought their way to plant the flag at the top of Iwo Jima to the firefighters who lifted the flag above the ruins of the World Trade Center, it is clear that our flag represents so much more than a nation. In truth, the American flag represents thousands of years of struggle to achieve political liberty, religious autonomy, and freedom from want. More important, our flag represents the inspiration of the life of our Nation and what humanity has the potential to accomplish.
Throughout our Nation's history, the American flag has enjoyed the protection of its people and its laws. Unfortunately, this safeguard was eroded in 1989 by the Supreme Court decision in Texas vs. Johnson. This decision, which many of my colleagues and I agree was misguided, found within the Constitution a right that had never before existed: the right to physically assault the flag under the First Amendment. Since then, Members of Congress have been faced with reconciling the tension between "free speech" and the symbolic importance of the American flag. As citizens, we can no longer allow flag burning to be considered a "norm" in our society. Although we can do nothing when terrorists or those with anti-American sentiments defile our flag abroad, we owe it to our brave service men and women, to ourselves, and to our children to do something when it happens on our own soil.
Our colleagues in the House have submitted a Joint Resolution to amend the Constitution to allow Congress to protect our flag. I do not take amending the Constitution lightly, but I commend the sponsoring representatives for taking action on such an important issue.
On this Flag Day, I hope we can all remember that our flag is much more than tightly-woven cotton mixed with beautiful colors. It is a true symbol of the struggle of this Nation to remain free and it flies tall as a reminder to all of the liberties that we enjoy as proud citizens of this country. The respect that our flag deserves depends on us. I'll close by quoting Franklin K. Lane, former Secretary of the Interior, who said this about the flag, "I am what you make me; nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself." Thank you.