Lawmakers: 'Old Glory' Should Be Made in America

[InPlay]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/WireS...5373967&page=2


Lawmakers: 'Old Glory' Should Be Made in America
The House says that flags flown on federal property should be made in the U.S.A.
By LIBBY QUAID
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON



The American flag has many labels: Stars and stripes. Old Glory. And sometimes, made in China.

Congress can't halt the flow of Chinese-made flags, but lawmakers can try to control where they are flown. The House declared Monday that any flag flown on federal property should be made in the U.S.A.

"It's not a major problem facing the nation," admitted Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif. "But it's an irritant."

Chinese-made flags seemed to pop up everywhere after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. People rushed to show their sense of patriotism by buying American flags, and U.S. manufacturers couldn't keep up with demand.

Foreign imports of American flags, worth around $1 million annually at the time, surged to nearly $52 million in the weeks that followed.

Then as demand subsided, lawmakers took action, requiring the Defense Department to buy American-made textiles and the Veterans Affairs Department to use American-made flags for burials.

And in the city where Congress meets, only U.S.-made flags fly over the nation's Capitol.

Still, more than 8,000 other federal buildings — courthouses, post offices, border stations, office buildings, among others — are under no such obligation.

Filner, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, wanted to force the government to buy only American-made flags. "But we were told that this mandatory stuff runs into trade agreements," the eight-term congressman said.

That is because the U.S. has gone to great pains to hammer out trade deals with other countries and can't impose new limits after the fact.

His solution was a nonbinding "sense of Congress" resolution that cleared the House on Monday. It doesn't have any teeth, he admitted, but it's a start.

In the meantime, state governments are beginning to weigh in. A new law in Minnesota says all flags sold in the state must be made in the U.S., with violations subject to a fine of up to $1,000 and jail time of up to 90 days. The industry says similar measures have cropped up in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida.

The country's flag makers can easily make enough flags for the government, said Michael Liberman, president of Valley Forge Flag Co. in Wyomissing, Pa.

"That would be a very, very small part of our domestic demand; there's no problem with that," he said. "Right after Sept. 11, the U.S. flag industry couldn't keep up with demand. But that only occurred for probably four or five months."

It's not just the government — several retail chains have decided to buy American-made flags. Liberman's company sells flags to Ace Hardware, Target and Lowe's. But he's had trouble selling flags to some retailers.

"Others have not had a problem selling flags saying they are made in China or made in Korea," he said. "We're constantly trying to convince them there is a difference in quality and usability."


Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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What else would you expect from our goverment. I wonder were I can get a Chinese flag ?

[zengrifter]

MADE IN CHINA --- OWNED BY CHINA

[aslan]

Why should we give a sh*t where the flag was made as long as it is of good quality and made to our specifications? Are you kidding me? Whatever happened to free enterprise? If Americans can't make enough, bring on the Chinese! I love my Japanese Avalon. 160,000 miles, 12 years old, and purring like a kitten. I never had an American car that ran so well, required so little maintenance, and got good gas mileage to boot. I'd rather buy American, but c'mon, give us quality. I don't buy the "buy American" slogan--it's a sales strategy, that's all. Make us proud once again of the American product and I'll be happy to buy American.

[InPlay]

Originally Posted by aslan

Why should we give a sh*t where the flag was made as long as it is of good quality and made to our specifications? Are you kidding me? Whatever happened to free enterprise? If Americans can't make enough, bring on the Chinese! I love my Japanese Avalon. 160,000 miles, 12 years old, and purring like a kitten. I never had an American car that ran so well, required so little maintenance, and got good gas mileage to boot. I'd rather buy American, but c'mon, give us quality. I don't buy the "buy American" slogan--it's a sales strategy, that's all. Make us proud once again of the American product and I'll be happy to buy American.

I am going to start a flag company so people can start waveing their flag. They love their Chinese junk so much they might as well put up a flag and wave it. It's America that we live in not China.

[aslan]

To me there is one God, one human race. National differences are incidental, but are often made out to be the whole ball of wax. A starving child in Africa is every much as important as a rich kid in Manhattan. The world is a dysfunctional family, but it is a family and we should not give up on our family. Every culture brings something of value to the table. Every human person brings something of value. Americans are not the most important family members.

I met a man who was an Jesuit priest. He spent thirty years in India. It crushed him when he was recalled to the U.S. India was no longer that strange place "over there" where millions die in the street of starvation, while the sacred cow (zebu) wander the streets unharmed. India had become his home. The Indian people had become his people. He had lived as an Indian for most of his adult life. He had walked through the cultural divide. He had become more human, not less American. We all need to become more human.

[zengrifter]

Originally Posted by aslan

To me there is one God, one human race. National differences are incidental,.

As are religious differences. zg

[aslan]

Originally Posted by zengrifter

As are religious differences. zg

In terms of how we treat one another, I agree. But there is a difference between a well balanced diet and hot dogs. One might just be better for you than the other.

[InPlay]

Originally Posted by aslan

In terms of how we treat one another, I agree. But there is a difference between a well balanced diet and hot dogs. One might just be better for you than the other.

As long as the hot dogs are Hebrew National all beef no fillers or additives.

[aslan]

Originally Posted by InPlay

As long as the hot dogs are Hebrew National all beef no fillers or additives.

Mmmmm! My favorite.