Facetiousness aside...

It means that a good American will lay down his or her life for your right to not listen to Marvin Gaye, to not shout at ball games other than fouls etc., to not turn the flag into window treatment or have it slapped onto tacky T-shirts and, most important, to vote.

That same good American will also lay down his or her life for Toni's right to turn her back on the flag and whatever else her impossibly young little heart and mind desires.

Your freedom to think and act as your conscience see fit...and HER freedom to think and act as her conscience sees fit...are equal. In the eyes of the U.S. Constitution, you are no better than she is, and vice versa, no matter how difficult that may be to accept.

That's the point.

I am saddened that the anti-Toni crowd has made no attempt to understand why she feels the way she does. Civil debate is out the window in favor of pure disgust.

(By the same token, I acknowledge that the pro-Toni crowd, too, isn't taking fully into account the point of view of those on the other side of the issue).

Is it any wonder young people feel like we don't care? WE DON'T LISTEN TO THEM.