mr. speaker , 200 years of tradition was wiped out 16 years ago . 
for 200 years our forefathers fought to protect the flag . 
all 50 states had resolutions to protect the flag prior to this , and since then all 50 states have passed resolutions that they will codify this vote . 
i want to tell my friends on the other side of the aisle , some will oppose this amendment . 
their opposition is honorable . 
they are my friends and they oppose this . 
but i would tell the gentleman that as of may , 81 percent of the american people oppose their arguments and their views . 
the military , go out to walter reed or bethesda and ask those men and women what they feel and they will tell you . 
all of the veterans organizations , and my colleague mentioned the veterans organizations are opposed to this . 
this is from the citizen 's flag alliance and list all of the veterans organizations that support this amendment , and i include that list for the record . 
amvets ( american veterans ) . 
african-american women 's clergy association . 
air force association . 
air force sergeants association . 
american gi forum of the u.s. american gi forum of the u.s. founding chapter . 
the american legion . 
american legion auxiliary . 
american legion riders , department of virginia . 
american merchant marine veterans . 
american war mothers . 
american wholesale flags . 
ancient order of hibernians . 
association of the u.s. army . 
baltic women 's council . 
benevolent & amp ; protective order of the elks . 
bunker hill monument association , inc . 
catholic family life insurance . 
catholic war veterans . 
the center for civilian internee rights , inc . 
the chosin few . 
combat veterans association . 
croatian american association . 
croatian catholic union . 
czech catholic union . 
czechoslovak christian democracy in the u.s.a . 
daughters of the american colonists . 
drum corps associates . 
dust off association . 
eight & amp ; forty ( des huit chapeaux et quarante femmes ) . 
enlisted association national guard u.s. ( eangus ) . 
family research council . 
fleet reserve association . 
forty & amp ; eight ( la societe des quarante hommes et huit chevaux ) . 
fox associates , inc . 
gold star wives of america , inc . 
grand aerie , fraternal order of eagles . 
grand lodge fraternal order of police . 
grand lodge of masons of oklahoma . 
great council of texas , order of red men . 
hungarian association . 
hungarian reformed federation of america . 
jewish war veterans of the usa . 
just marketing , inc . 
knights of columbus . 
korean american association of greater washington . 
ladies auxiliary of veterans of world war i. mbna america . 
marine corps league . 
marine corps mustang association , inc . 
marine corps reserve officers association . 
medal of honor recipients for the flag . 
military officers association of indianapolis , moaa ( formally the retired officers association of indianapolis , troa ) . 
military order of the purple heart of the u.s.a . 
the military order of the foreign wars . 
moose international . 
national alliance of families for the return of america 's missing servicemen . 
national association for uniformed services . 
national association of state directors of veterans affairs , inc . 
( nasdva ) . 
national center for public policy research . 
national defense committee . 
national 4th infantry ( ivy ) division association . 
national federation of american hungarians , inc . 
national federation of state high school associations . 
national ffa ( future farmers of america ) . 
national grange . 
national guard association of the u.s. national league of families of american prisoners and missing in se asia . 
national officers association ( noa ) . 
national organization of world war nurses . 
national service star legion . 
national slovak society of the united states . 
national sojourners . 
inc . 
national society of the daughters of the american revolution . 
national society of the sons of the american revolution . 
national twenty & amp ; four . 
national vietnam & amp ; gulf war veterans . 
native daughters of the golden west . 
native sons of the golden west . 
navajo codetalkers association . 
naval enlisted reserve association ( nera ) . 
navy league of the u.s. navy seabee veterans of america . 
non-commissioned officers association . 
pac pennsylvania eastern division . 
past national commander 's organization ( panco ) . 
patrol craft sailors association . 
polish american congress . 
polish army veterans association ( s.w.a.p. ) . 
polish falcons of america . 
polish falcons of america -- district ii . 
polish home army . 
polish legion of american veterans , u.s.a . 
polish legion of american veterans ladies auxiliary . 
polish national alliance . 
polish national union . 
polish roman catholic union of north america . 
polish scouting organization . 
polish western association . 
polish women 's alliance . 
robinson international . 
ruritan national . 
sampson wwii navy vets , inc . 
san diego veterans services . 
scottish rite of freemasonry -- northern masonic jurisdiction . 
scottish rite of freemasonry -- southern jurisdiction . 
sons of confederate veterans . 
sons of the american legion . 
sons of the revolution in the state of wisconsin . 
sons of union veterans of the civil war . 
sportsmen 's athletic club -- pennsylvania . 
standing rock sioux tribe . 
steamfitters local union # 449 . 
team of destiny . 
texas society sons of the american revolution . 
the general society , sons of the revolution . 
the military order of the world wars . 
the orchard lakes schools . 
the reserve officers association of the united states . 
the retired enlisted association ( trea ) . 
the seniors coalition . 
the travelers protective association . 
trea senior citizens league . 
the ukrainian gold cross . 
the uniformed services association ( tusa ) . 
united armed forces association . 
united veterans of america . 
u.s. coast guard enlisted association . 
u.s. marine corps combat correspondents association . 
u.s. pan asian american chamber of commerce . 
u.s.a letters , inc . 
u.s.s. intrepid association . 
inc . 
u.s.c.g . 
chief petty officers association . 
veterans of the battle of the bulge . 
veterans of the vietnam war , inc . 
vietnam veterans institute ( vvi ) . 
vietnam veterans of america , chapter 415 . 
vietnam veterans of america , chapter 566 . 
vietnow . 
virginia war memorial foundation . 
waves national . 
women 's army corps veterans association . 
women 's overseas service league . 
woodmen of the world . 
63rd infantry division association , usar . 
66th engineering topo vets . 
total member organizations as of may 10 , 2005 : 146 . 
mr. speaker , in the past debates people have brought forth trinkets , ties , gloves , and t-shirts and tried to confuse the issue with the american flag . 
what is the american flag ? 
the flag is what we place over the coffins of our fallen soldiers . 
i would ask those individuals , if they still try this trickster debate , which of those items would you place on the casket of one of our fallen soldiers ; it is not the american flag . 
i have a 6-year-old test . 
if you ask a 6-year-old what is the american flag and you hold up a tie or a t-shirt , they will say no , that is not the american flag . 
they know , and so do the american people . 
in my district we had a group of hispanics that were protesting over a bill that we passed on this floor years ago and it was on bilingual education , english first . 
there was a large protest . 
they started to burn the american flag in my district . 
a hispanic man and woman jumped into the flames and rescued that flag . 
when the press asked them why , they said we value this flag and this country and we do not want anyone to desecrate it . 
they also pointed out that more hispanics per capita have won the medal of honor and they support this flag and this country proudly . 
i have another friend who was a prisoner of war for 6 1/2 years . 
it took him 5 years to knit an american flag on the inside of his shirt when he was held prisoner in vietnam . 
he would display this flag at his meetings until the guards broke in one day and brutally beat the prisoner of war , ripped the flag to shreds in the middle of the floor , drug the prisoner out of the cell , beat him unconscious . 
and when they placed him back in the cell , his friends tried to comfort him as much as they could and tend to his wounds , but he was unconscious . 
they went about their meetings , and a few minutes later they heard a stirring in the corner . 
that broken body prisoner of war had drug himself to the center of the floor and started gathering those pieces of thread so he could knit another american flag . 
this is not political for us . 
it is a very bipartisan issue . 
we should get around 300 votes today , i tell my colleagues , both republicans and democrats . 
i understand that some people oppose this , and for different reasons why , but i will tell you that they are opposed by many , many people . 
members say that this violates the first amendment rights . 
there are a thousand ways that an individual can protest any event , and this does not take away first amendment rights but it just says please do not desecrate the flag . 
remember mr. giuliani and the first responders at the world trade center , remember how that inspired this country . 
it does have value . 
this value is part of our tradition and was part of our tradition for 200 years , and that is what the gentleman from wisconsin ( mr. sensenbrenner ) xz4003650 and the 300 members who will support this amendment today are saying to my colleagues that are opposed to this . 
we disagree with you . 
we do not disagree lightly , and we think it is very , very important . 
but when the majority of the american people support it , we will vote with it . 
