Today, we resume a debate over a proposal which will test whether the pledge we make with our hands over our hearts is one of consequence, or a hollow gesture.
Symbols are important.
The American flag represents, in a way that nothing else does, the common bond shared by the people of this nation, one of the most diverse in the world. It is our one overriding symbol of unity. We have no state religion. What we do have is the American flag. This proposed amendment recognizes and ratifies James Madison's view and the constitutional law that existed for centuries that the American flag is an important and unique incident of our national sovereignty.