[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 4, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E25]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E25]]
                    EMBRACING THE CONSTITUTION FLAG

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ANTHONY D. WEINER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 4, 2005

  Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker, since September 11th, 2001, this nation has 
engaged in a debate over how best to balance national security with 
civil liberties. ``They who would give up an essential liberty for 
temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.'' Those words 
are as true today as they were when Ben Franklin said them at the dawn 
of American democracy.
  It was in that spirit that a patriotic New Yorker named Bob Pargament 
designed the ``Constitution Flag.'' The new symbol, an American Flag 
with the Constitution superimposed in the outline of the United States, 
reminds us never to undercut the freedoms guaranteed to each individual 
in the Constitution.
  While nothing can ever replace our beloved ``Old Glory,'' this new 
emblem is currently flying in homes, city and town halls, and law 
classrooms across the country. It is on display at the American Library 
Association's Chicago headquarters and the city of Mount Vernon, NY has 
officially adopted the flag as the city's symbol.
  As we in Congress continue to struggle with ways to keep Americans 
safe, we should honor those who are working to highlight the civil 
liberties at the foundation of our democracy. I urge my colleagues to 
join me in embracing the Constitution Flag as an invaluable reminder of 
what keeps American strong.

                          ____________________