[O]NCE UPON A TIME, when people filled a page with my words and a Brobdingnagian picture of my face, I pretended to be an American flag.
If memory serves, the column came about because someone told a veteran to take his flag down from an apartment balcony.
The person had a change of heart pretty fast, to his or her credit, but I had already been made mad and I needed a column idea.
The Wednesday after the flag fracas, I yielded my space on the opinion page to Old Glory.
I couldn’t find the column online, and didn’t want to repost it here without a link to the paper, but the point was the flag has “seen” the best and worst of America.
The United States has gone through a lot of growth in the 244 years it’s taken to put 50 stars on The Star-Spangled Banner, and the country has had its share of growing pains.
It’s not perfect. It has its share of warts, and it’s done its share of wrongs.
I wish some things were different. I wish some things about America were better, but I love it.
I’m proud of my country.
I count it a blessing to have been born here, and to live in what I believe is the greatest country in the world.
This post is a response to Sue’s prompt, which is “country.”
Casey's Column 
Casey: Yes, it is the greatest country in the world! I served my country for 23 years in a US Army Uniform. I cannot stand to see our flag stomped on, burned etc. I have seen too many men and women die for this country and be buried in a flag draped coffin..I have stood at attention too many times when Taps was played to put up with the foolishness we are seeing enacted everyday through out our country. If America is so bad why don’t these folks leave. I will stand at attention and salute my flag every time our national anthem is played. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!!!