We are in the midst of a turbulent political season. Perhaps you’ve noticed? I suppose every four years the country goes haywire. But this year, the 2020 election has brought out too many crazies.

I read last week where a certain group of them setup a guillotine, (a guillotine I tell you!), like the one used to chop off the heads of King Louis and Queen Marie Antoinette. You know they were the King and Queen of France in 1793.

This group some news agencies reported as “peaceful protestors.” But when they used a guillotine to destroy, then burn our great American flag, they became criminals. There is a video of this disgusting act posted online: www.westernjournal.com.

But is there a law to protect our American flag from intentional destruction?

The Flag Desecration Amendment (often referred to as the Flag-burning Amendment) is an American proposed law, in the form of constitutional amendment to the Bill of Rights that would allow the U.S. Congress to prohibit by statute and provide punishment for the physical “desecration” of the flag of the United States.

I say that’s not strong enough, almost just a slap on the wrist.

If we pay attention to national news reports, we will witness, via video reports, daily desecration of our flag but under the pretense of marching for whatever the climate of the day prevails. Freedom of speech is one thing, peaceful protestors another thing, but burning our flag is too much.

Not only the flag but as well the burning of Bibles and copies of the Declaration of Independence, pulling down historical monuments, bashing police, looting, destruction of government buildings, including police departments. None of this is peaceful protest. Let’s call it for what it is – UNLAWFUL VIOLENCE!

How much longer will we, as law-abiding Americans, allow these unlawful actions to take place against our beloved country?

So why have some groups of American protestors’ gone bat-crazy, especially during 2020? There is no legitimate reason but politics.

But should we shrug our shoulders and go about our day? Should we think, “Oh, this is just an election year?”

No! We must stand up in our own law-abiding way to protect our wonderful country, whatever we can do, whatever we can say. Write a letter or make a phone call but just do something. Violence is never the answer but at the same time, standing in the corner, never speaking our convictions is also not the answer.

I suppose it was the “guillotine” news report that really stirred my soul this week but also, at the Republican Convention on Monday night, there was a heartfelt speech by a Cuban immigrant, Maximo Alvarez, which set my heart ablaze.

In part he said that he knew all about the past and he would never forget his own. He began to tell about his family in Cuba.

“My family has fled totalitarianism and communism more than once, first my dad from Spain and then from Cuba. But my family is done running away.”

He added. “By the grace of God, I live the American dream, the greatest blessing I’ve ever had.”

He told about the dictator Fidel Castro.

Mr. Alvarez with almost uncontrollable emotion continued. “I’ve seen movements like this before… free education, free healthcare, defund the police, trust a socialist state more than your family and community. They don’t sound radical to my ears. They sound familiar.”

But it was his last sentence that made my heart thump. “I still hear my dad (saying), there is no other place to go (only America).”

I’ve written this in bold print and placed it on my bedside table, and as I say my morning prayers, it is the first thing to meet my eyes:

America is my home, my country and I will defend her until my last breathe.

Please join me. America is our home.

Anne B. McKee is a Mississippi historian, writer and storyteller. She is listed on the Mississippi Humanities Speakers Bureau and Mississippi Arts Commission’s Performing Artist and Teaching Artist Rosters. See her web site: www.annemckeestoryteller.com