Members of Congress offer their constituents the opportunity to purchase an American flag that has actually been flown over the Capitol building for a few minutes. The flag is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity that includes a dedication authored by the constituent. Since the 1970's, the Office of the Architect of the Capitol-- the office that flies the flags and makes up the certificates-- has taken the position that the certificate should not contain religious or political expressions. This limitation became the center of controversy last month when a constituent complained to Ohio Rep. Michael Turner that his requested inscription was edited because it made reference to his grandfather's love of God, country and family.
Rep. Turner quickly issued a critical statement equating the policy with attempts "to take God from the Pledge of Allegiance". Fox News reported yesterday that Acting Capitol Architect Stephen T. Ayers has now changed the policy and will no longer censor the contents of notes on the certificate accompanying flags. A release issued yesterday by Ayers' office said that the "rules have been inconsistently applied" and that it is beyond the scope of the Capitol Architect's responsibilities to censor messages from members of Congress. It continued: "The Architect’s role is to certify that flags are appropriately flown over the U.S. Capitol, and any messages on the flag certificates are personal and between a Member of Congress and his or her constituents." [Thanks to Alliance Alert for the lead.]
