Q:
Is displaying the American flag on July 4th a good thing? Or is it considered a gentile idea?
A:
Let me tell you something. Fifty years ago I wouldn’t have spoken about this. I’ve been speaking more than fifty years in public but I didn’t speak about any American flags. You don’t need it. Who needs American flags? It wasn’t necessary.
Today however if you want to do it, I say yasher koach. Do you know why? Because all the reshaim are trampling on the flag and they’re trying to desecrate America. You know why? Not because they’re good goyim. It’s because they’re reshaim gemurim. The liberals are trying to ruin everything. And when that wicked Supreme Court permitted burning an American flag and said you cannot make a law against it, it was a desecration of America.
After all, America is a good country. We came from countries where we were persecuted and this country gave us all the rights. I say we should kiss the ground of America. I was in Europe for some time. I went to study in the yeshivah there. And when I came back I saw that America was a blessed country. It’s a gift of Hashem to us. Shouldn’t we appreciate it?
And therefore I say a Jew should hang out the flag. Yes; today yes. I won’t say you’re a sinner if you don’t but I think it’s a good thing to hang out the flag today. It’s not a contradiction to being a frum Jew. It’s not a contradiction by any means. We hang out the flag from this shul on the Fourth of July.
TAPE #750 (July 1989)
