[Mb-hair] HAIR: Theater of the Ridiculous (plus Flag Burning)

[Sibley Smith]

Katie,

That is so cool (for you!) about the positive inroads you and your crew seem to be now making with the black community in your area.  Sounds like HAIR magic is indeed happening there for you.  Keep the faith, Baby!

Regarding the burning of flags for their retirement when old and worn out, faded, tattered:  According to the United States Flag Code (Title 36, Chapter 10, United States Code, as amended by P.L. 344, 94th Congress, approved July 7, 1976), "when a Flag has served its useful purpose, it should be destroyed, preferably by burning." The American Legion "Flag Ettiquette" pamphlet further says, "For individual citizens this should be done discreetly so that the act of destruction is not perceived as a protest or desecration.  Many American Legion Posts [and local Boy Scouts usually assist] conduct Disposal of Unserviceable Flag Ceremonies on June 14, Flag Day, each year.  This ceremony creates a particularly dignified and solemn occasion for the retirement of unserviceable Flags."  FYI, etc., etc., etc.

But, for an example of just how whacky folks can get about what they want to consider as "flag desecration," I just read in a Central Jersey newspaper an account of folks being up in arms because someone recently painted peace signs over the image (the mere image, mind you) of an American flag painted on a big rock on the side of the road.  Apparently the rock had been traditionally painted on a seasonal basis (by some anonymous person) with designs appropriate for each season.  Well, the guy stopped painting one day, so this other guy decides to paint a flag on it -- and now, it's like, sacrosanct, it's a holy icon --and how dare some young upstart think that peace has anything to do with the U S of A, for chrissake!!!!  That's a good example of how ludicrous law enforcement of some flag desecration law could well become.  A mom could get arrested for throwing away that flag picture little Tommy colored in the second grade and has been magneted to the fridge for the past 3 years and it's now looking pretty sad, eh?

Tioga Jioga Joe

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Date: Tue, 28 Jun 2005 02:58:36 +0000
From: "Katie Kasben" <katiekasben at hotmail.com>

Exactly! Like the proposed ban on Flag burning...I love the fact that for a 
flag past it's prime,
the official protocol says To BURN IT.   - i just got a fortune cookie that 
says, "the heart is wiser than the intellect"- must be so.

BUT- what I really want to tell you all is- THE COOLEST THING HAPPENED 
TONIGHT!!!

We were in rehearsal and one of the cast members came in late...and brought 
with him a black man-and everyone burst into spontaneous applause!  really 
genuine too.  i don't think he quite knew what to do with that.  it was 
awesome.  He is too old (and big) to play Hud, but he's a theatre guy and 
has a fantastic vibe.

AND- a friend of my mom's gave me the number of Daddy Watts, a VERY 
connected black gentleman in town.  He was so nice~ he invited me to brunch 
at his house on Saturday, and he said there would be many people there I 
would be interested in talking to!!!

and  i have a meeting with a local youth center, plus talked to our local 
NAACP chapter, and was told to submit a request in writing.

Wouldn't it be sooo cool if we could all get outside of ourselves and bust 
open some communication lines?

I guess I'm a little excited.
everyone is beautiful.

Love,
Katie

ALOHA NUI LOA!
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