OLD GLORY: More today on Mike Smith’s battle to fly “Old
Glory”:

Lou Pascale writes from Middlebury Center, Pa.: “Only in
Bradford would a person be cited for flying an American flag. Last
week I was in town and drove by Mr. Smith’s store, I did not see a
problem. I think it looked good. More businesses should display the
American flag like Mr. Smith. Keep it up, Mike.”

From Bill Murphy, “At what point in this overprotective society
will individuals who are most deserving of showing and expressing
their support of the very people who have tried to protect that
right be handed back their rights?”

“I continue to hear of all kinds of very insane regulation on
things like this. My question is to all Americans. When are we
going to take this country back and return to sensibility rather
than stupidity? All these regulations are just insane!”

Mick Essner writes from Harper, Texas: ” … the story about Mike
Smith, the Vietnam Vet whose flags are ‘wafting’ in the street,
struck a nerve with me. This country needs a wake-up call along
with small cities. This country needs more people like Mike Smith
who care about the freedoms we have and is proud to be an American
by flying the flags of this great country in front of his
business.”

“I, too, am a Vietnam era vet and can remember going through
O’Hare International Airport, Chicago, in uniform, and was spit on
by anti-war protesters. Needless to say, I spent a night in the
slammer for fighting with the man who spit on me.

“Bradford, Pa., should be proud to have a patriot like Mike
Smith who not only reflects his patriotism but that of the city of
Bradford.

“When a city has ordinances that are out of touch with reality,
it’s time to go back to basics and re-evaluate the intent of said
ordinances. I read that nobody has ever complained about these
flags being flown, so what is the problem? Is it a political
statement or the proverbial find fault for find-fault sake?

“We moved to Texas almost 10 years ago, and here you can fly the
flag anywhere, anytime, the more the better. This is the flag
waving-est state I know of. Wake up, Bradford!”

We still have more comments we’ll get to soon.