That Ragged Old Flag

Annie

Diamond Member
Nov 22, 2003
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http://www.alighthouse.com/flag.htm

Ragged Old Flag
I walked through a county courthouse square,
On a park bench an old man was sitting there.
I said, Your old courthouse is kinda run down.
He said, Naw, it'll do for our little town.

I said, Your flagpole has leaned a little bit,
And that's a Ragged Old Flag you got hanging on it.
He said, Have a seat, and I sat down.
Is this the first time you've been to our little town?

I said, I think it is. He said, I don't like to brag,
But we're kinda proud of that Ragged Old Flag.
You see, we got a little hole in that flag there
When Washington took it across the Delaware.

And it got a bad rip in New Orleans
With Packingham and Jackson tuggin' at its seams.
And it almost fell at the Alamo
Beside the Texas flag, but she waved on though.

She got cut with a sword at Chancellorsville
And she got cut again at Shiloh Hill.
There was Robert E. Lee, Beauregard, and Bragg,
And the south wind blew hard on that Ragged Old Flag.

On Flanders Field in World War I
She got a big hole from a Bertha gun.
She turned blood red in World War II
She hung limp and low a time or two.

She was in Korea and Vietnam.
She went where she was sent by her Uncle Sam.
She waved from our ships upon the briny foam,
And now they've about quit waving her back here at home.

In her own good land she's been abused --
She's been burned, dishonored, denied and refused.
And the government for which she stands
Is scandalized throughout the land.

And she's getting threadbare and wearing thin,
But she's in good shape for the shape she's in.
'Cause she's been through the fire before
And I believe she can take a whole lot more.

So we raise her up every morning, Take her down every night.
We don't let her touch the ground And we fold her up right.
On second thought I DO like to brag,
'Cause I'm mighty proud of that Ragged Old Flag.
Written by Johnny Cash
 
Perhaps I assume too much, but I'm guessing this was meant to be the unassuming opening salvo on the upcoming Flag-Burning Amendment?

Great lyrics. Old Glory is stronger and more staid than any man or law.

The amount of conceit any human would have to have to think they could protect Her honor with some law is beyond comprehension. She is already hardened by the seared blood of her protectors, bouyed by the actions of millions who have fought against tyranny and oppression, both at home and abroad, and acknowledged world-wide as the symbol of freedom which cannot be undone.
 
jasendorf said:
Perhaps I assume too much, but I'm guessing this was meant to be the unassuming opening salvo on the upcoming Flag-Burning Amendment?

Great lyrics. Old Glory is stronger and more staid than any man or law.

The amount of conceit any human would have to have to think they could protect Her honor with some law is beyond comprehension. She is already hardened by the seared blood of her protectors, bouyed by the actions of millions who have fought against tyranny and oppression, both at home and abroad, and acknowledged world-wide as the symbol of freedom which cannot be undone.

excellent point....what say ye of cindy's soiling of her son's fight on the flags behalf
 
She's his mother. She instilled in him enough patriotism to serve, fight and die for our country; in that light, she did more than most mothers in this country or they'd be turning people away at the recruting stations. I guess I'm tired of guys like right-wing radio talk show host Mike Gallagher attacking her while he couldn't do what she did with his four prime-service-age sons.

Why her grief has caused her to act so outrageously is unbeknownst to me... but, I'm not going to attack her for it... it's her grief and only she can decide how she'll best deal with it. I doubt her son would begrudge her that.
 

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