Broken Hallelujah

Paul Krassner's talking about the annual Rollling Thunder memorial ride to remember America's veterans where Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General Richard Myers was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the American flag.

"Oh, if only Abbie Hoffman could have witnessed that."

I'll say. It used to be a serious offense to wear the flag. Very serious.

In October 1968, Hoffman was arrested in Washington for wearing a shirt that resembled the design of an American flag. Authorities at the maximum-security penitentiary did their worst to harass and humiliate him. They gave him a preventive de-lousing. They took a blood sample against his will, without affording him the sterile courtesy of a disposable syringe.

In support of Abbie, everyone began wearing flags as shirts, shawls, purses, patches for their broken jeans. I've told the story here of me getting a visit from 2 official dudes at school after they heard I had flags strung up as curtains in my room. They would have arrested me if I hadn't taken the flags down.

Things sure have changed if the good General can now wear the same thing that Abbie once got arrested for.

Link