The Selling of Patriotism

In Las Vegas, there is this guy, Dan Towbin, owner of a Hummer dealership, who decided to install an American flag on a 100 ft tall pole to show “his patriotism” and also with the promise to build a memorial for military veterans at the base of such flag. After some controversial review he was ordered to lower the height of the pole within a certain period of time or the city would do it for him. The future will bring the outcome of this story, but what irks me is that so many people in this city, and I guess others somewhere in the country, exploit the flag, the military and the patriotic feelings most of us have, for personal gain. Towbin is nothing but a car dealer who wants to call attention to his business, period. All that protest of patriotism on his part sounds hollow, given the fact that if he really wants to show his colors there are many other things, good things he could do, like donating money to the veterans hospital for example, instead of building a personal memorial in front of a bunch of cars. He’s kidding no one with this. A car dealership is no place for a serious memorial to honor vets, just a marker on the road very useful for advertising. But then again this is Las Vegas, home of the crass and land of the shifty.