Day By Day© by Chris Muir.

November 16, 2006

Nevada Town Bars Foreign Flags Flying Alone

Pahrump, Nevada's main claim to fame has been being home to the Bonnie and Clyde death car, ensconced at Whiskey Pete's. (As a kid, I saw the car at the Silver Dollar Saloon in Virginia City. Blood stains and everything!)

Now, the town has passed a law banning the flying of foreign flags alone:

The elected town board in the remote Mojave Desert community voted 3-2 on Tuesday to enact an ordinance making it illegal to fly a foreign nation's flag by itself.

"Old Glory is sovereign," says Paul Willis, a retired carpenter and board member. "You can't fly any other nation's flag higher than the American flag."

Of course, the ACLU is already bleating:

The American Civil Liberties Union says the flag restriction violates the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech.

"There's no doubt about it," says Lisa Rasmussen, a board member of the Nevada ACLU. "People have a right, as much as we don't like it, to fly ... any flag they wish."

No one's banning the flying of other flags...just saying that they must fly with and below the American flag. But to tell that to the "anyone but America first" ACLU is like spitting into the wind. Rasmussen has also said to expect the ACLU to "take action."

And that's not all:

The law passed as part of a package of measures that also declared English the official language of Pahrump and denies town benefits to illegal immigrants.

French is the official language of France. (I thought it was Weaselese.) German is the official language of Germany. Italian is the official language of Italy. Spanish is the official language of Mexico and Spain. I could go on. Why is it so many people get their knickers in a twist when Americans propose making English the official language of America? And what's wrong with expecting that the flag that represents our country be given priority over the flags of other countries? Plus, barring benefits from those not legally eligible to receive them is responsible on two fronts: it relieves the economic burden on the town and its taxpayers, and discourages illegals from showing up to begin with.

Pahrump is joining in with towns like Hazleton, PA and Farmers Branch, TX, in taking a stance against illegal immigration. Other towns should follow suit. Will our federal government finally take note?

h/t: Jeanette