This may seem odd coming from me, but the American flag is a tremendous symbol with power that is arguably beyond the likes of any others in our nation. It is a symbol not for whatever government is using it as a decoy for its behavior, or for whatever multinational corporation is using it to seduce you into buying patriotic condoms or maxi pads, but for what the United States stands for, and more importantly, for what it could stand for, if given the right leadership.

For that reason, desecrating the American flag is a cardinal sin. For decades, states and free speech opponents under the guise of other names have tried to make it a crime, when it comes in the form of burning as political protest.

Thankfully, free speech has prevailed, and by preventing bans on flag burning, Americans have considerably less reason to burn the flag.

The flag has survived the case of Texas v. Johnson, in which the Supreme Court was unusually correct, stating that laws banning flag burning based on the content of the message it sends were unconstitutional.

Nonetheless, this national symbol faces a danger more grave and awful than any in the history of its glorious existence.

That danger, which has posed a threat to so many of the glorious freedoms of the United States in recent years, is the overwhelming threat of so-called patriotism spread among a group of idiots who have no respect for the flag.

Regardless of whether you support U.S. troops — although you should know that, in fact, nearly every person in this country does even if they totally hate the way they were used to invade Iraq — there is a virulent form of patriotism that has struck our national highways.

Where semi-trucks used to communicate their consistently right-wing messages about abortion or Fords pissing on Chevys, they’ve now gone in a direction that is inexcusable by attaching American flags to the sides of their rigs.

This would be problematic, even if these trucks never once left their garages.

The flag is, among other things, not supposed to be dragged on anything, or even make contact with anything except a flagpole, should the wind die down totally (not applicable in Iowa, of course, where a calm breeze tends to blow at 45 knots).

Furthermore, it should not be used as corporate advertising. Of course, that’s moderately frustrating, but not blatantly disrespectful, since perhaps Pepsi might actually represent life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for some.

But to attach the flag to a truck in this way undermines its integrity, and also leads to a very rampant destruction of the flag, courtesy of 70 mph driving and plenty of constant wear and tear, including inclement weather. And it’s not just a handful of people doing it.

During a drive from Ames to Omaha, I counted no fewer than ten trucks desecrating the stars and stripes. Perhaps these people actually hate the American flag, or are secretly behaving in this way to protest the war in Iraq, but no matter what the message is, it’s not worth saying in this way.

The desecration is shockingly rampant.

In this attempt to pass themselves off as true patriots, the trucks carrying these flags are instead offering a knife to the ribs of the country we all inhabit.

Of course, there are other guilty parties with no respect for the flag. If you don’t believe me, take a short drive on I-35 north to Story City and take a look at a prominent building, which has its own corporate flag flying even to or possibly higher than the stars and stripes.

In the hopes that they will correct this grievous error, I won’t tell you just who it is, but it will suffice to say that this is an offense to anyone who has hope that someday corporations won’t simply hand out senators at a Christmas party.

So please, if you must desecrate a national symbol, at least do it with good cause and a message to spread.

Light it ablaze, and don’t be the least bit surprised when your inflammatory tactics lead to a few savage beatings from patriots, expatriates and malcontents eager to go after someone who can’t even spread their words without resorting to desperate attention-getting tactics.

That’s fine.

But to spread the message that those 13 stripes and 50 stars mean no more to you than a pair of mud flaps that read “no fat chicks” is an insult not only to those troops you’re allegedly supporting, but everything good that may still come from the wonderful experiment of the American republic.