CRUSHED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE FLAGS

January 3, 2007 at 21:13:31

CRUSHED BY THE WEIGHT OF THE FLAGS

by Linda Milazzo


................

At the interment site for President Ford, the American flag that draped over his casket was handed to Vice President Cheney. At that moment I imagined not one, but over 3,000 memorial flags being handed to Dick Cheney all at the very same time. A shower of American flags to honor all who had fallen. A surge of American flags for those who had died in His war.

I wondered how much this many flags would weigh...

I researched and discovered there are three types of flags used most often to drape the coffins of our fallen in war. The flag most commonly used is cotton, likely similar to the one used today. The cotton memorial flag weighs approximately 2.3 pounds.

As of this writing, 3,004 American military men and women have perished in the War on Iraq. The combined weight of that many flags is approximately 7,000 pounds. Mr. Cheney would be crushed under the weight of this many flags. As would Mr. Rumsfeld, Ms. Rice, Mr. Bush, Mr. Wolfowitz, Mr. Perle, Mr. Crystal, Mr. Feith and Mr. Powell. They'd all be crushed. Crushed like the families of the fallen whom they had sent off to war.

Then imagine the weights of the bodies. And make a pledge not to surge any more.

...........

more at:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_linda_mi_070103_crushed_by_the_weigh.htm

haven't had a chance to look - but is it protocol to give the VP the flag to hand the the widow? I found the gesture somewhat insulting to Betty Ford, especially since her family took great pains to avoid the current administration and then there was Ford's interview with Woodward in 2004. Great piece!:thumbsup:

Cheney and Ford were old friends. Cheney was Ford's chief of staff after all.