No one is saying that flag-flying is required. No one is saying that everyone not flying a flag is a jerk. If you reread my response, you will see that I have much more specific reasons for calling people jerks than whether or not they are flapping a piece of cloth in the breeze.

This is what I want you to think about:

What is it in a normal, everyday American that makes him or her uncomfortable with their flag? What thoughts are going through their head to make them feel like they shouldn't be seen with this symbol? Why do they feel badly about their country? These are not people who never got around to sticking a flag up. These are people who don't want to be seen near one. The flag isn't the main issue--it's a symptom of something deeper and more important.

An analogy: if a person unconciously crosses to the other side of the street when they see a black person coming down the sidewalk, the main cultural issue of concern here is not whether or not he has the right to cross a street, or whether jaywalking laws should be strengthened.

More on this later.