I Am Not A Flag Waver...

 ...but I do try to show respect for the American flag. After all, it is the symbol of our great nation from its founding, as expressed in the 13 stripes  representing the 13 original states, through today with the stars within the blue field, the Union, representing the union of all current 50 states (no Mr. Obama there are not 57 states). 

 

 So, when a merchandiser uses that symbol in an obvious attempt (as I see it) to solely attempt to increase profit  - on or around the founding day of our country July 4th -  I say fuck him I am not knowingly going to be buying a thing from that merchandiser. In this case, I specifically direct that opinion toward Troy Aikman.

Now that he owns a U.S. based brewery, he is placing American flags on the cans of beer he produces and trying to make it appear as if, or so it seems to me, he is being, and his beer somehow is, patriotic.

 

I do not mind businesses using images of our flag in advertising or on their products. What I mind is when they do it and then boast about doing it to appear patriotic when my guess is that the underlying reason they are doing so is to increase profit. The perfect example of such happening seems to me to be Troy Aikman appearing to be doing that right now just before Independence Day with his beer. More at the source. 

 

Mr, Aikman, in essence, has called out non US beer brands for doing so, putting an image of the U.S. flag o their products, but the thing is, he apparently is doing everything the same except that his company is based here within the USA. That, in my view, does not give him free license to exploit the patriotism, our flag or Independence Day.

 

I would think, a good and truly patriotic citizen, who knows how to respect our country, our flag and our Independence Day and who truly cares about them would never exploit them to such an extent as I think he is doing. I believe he is doing exactly that thought in order to increase his profit and to diminish the profits of other companies doing the same because their beers being made abroad. 

 

As an American citizen (and I am assuming he is one), who apparently considers himself a patriot, I think he should hang his head in shame because while those foreign companies should not exploit our flag, I am of the strong opinion that a truly patriotic American Citizen should not do so either because a true patriot should know better, know enough about flag etiquette and care about our country enough never to do so himself in the manner that Mr. Aikman appears to me to be doing it right before Independence Day! 

 

All the best,

Glenn B