Oh, the old Washington's birthday white sales were around for ages before they became the Presidents Day sales. It's been around for a long long time.

Yeah, poor taste or just a lack of any good artistic sense.

I feel it is a lack or respect towards the people who tried to do the best they could to make our country free. As to your paper being written you might contact the people who advertise especially if local. I too have noticed that in some communities there seems to be "nothing" to report so some (few) make up "garbage".

I think we should be buying American cars and products....but do I....no. Try buying a Tv made in the usa....? Not. Clothing companies that were started by Americans like Patagonia, North Face, REI...now contract to Malasia & China to make the clothing....

I think the commercials are a tacky, tastless, reminder to "buy American"....

Disrespect is rampant in politics today. You may not agree with whichever party is in control but making fun of them and flat out lying about them is very disrespectful. This is particularly true of the last adminstration and the current one and it needs to stop! Serves no purpose.

Again, the current climate in our country says $$ wins out above all else, respect, feelings, sensitivity be dam*ed.

I just saw a tasteless add with Thomas Jefferson accusing Kraft mac and chees of stealing his recipe I am writing the co. the next time I see it to make sure I get my story straight

One thing I hate to see is, when people wear clothes that look like they are made out of our U.S.Flag. I saw a gal wearing a pair of short shorts that were made out of fabric printed like the flag. The field of stars were on her backside, with the stripes were wrapped around her body. Now, i think that is terribly disrespectful, in my opinion, and awfully tacky. Dottie

I agree with the "poor taste" viewpoint - and I agree with the viewpoint regarding running around in clothing made to look very much like our/your national flag.

In Canada, I sometimes see several copies of our national flag fly near one another, often with other pennants, banners, though they are usually in a subordinate position, etc.

I have sometimes complained to the folks doing it, saying that such makes it more like just one more decoration, rather than the outstanding symbol of our nation.

While I can make a joke about some important things, the people that I deal with know that I have great respect for them, as well.

Let's not forget what one of your founding fathers, or at least one of the early leaders of your country, said, "The price of freedom is ... eternal vigilance".

Was it Nathan Hale?

I think that that message should be carefully heeded by all of us who claim that we love freedom.

There are many who would erode it - from various viewpoints.

ole joyful

oh my... this post goes with the editorial i read in a wisconsin paper on vacation...it was chastizing those who use the the word "holocaust" to describe any number of events...the author said there was just one, and to call other events the same, wasn't...

without family to retain or protect the name of our presidents, they, like many things, can be exploited...ummmm maybe they might have brought it on themselves...FREEDOM OF SPEECH..lol

the word "holocaust" to describe any number of events...the author said there was just one

The author is misinformed. The word came long before the event. When capitalized it refers to the horrific events of Nazi Germany. No one group of people can own a word.

As to the rest of the ads a president or any other famous person is a public figure. He not some deity after all. It's satire, It's humor. It's not meant to be factual. Get a grip.

I have no problem with clothing made of fabric that looks like the flag as long as it isn't an actual flag. I do have a problem with how so many so-called patriots display and treat the flag. Flying it in the rain,not taking it down or lighting it after dusk and generally letting the smaller flags be played with like toys and allowed to be drug on the ground and tossed in the trash. I also don't want to see a flag patch on anyone who isn't in uniform be it military,public servant or scout.

I'd essentially echo Wildchild on this one. As far as the clothing it depends on the situation. There were some kids kicked out of school for wearing even red, white and blue on Cinco de mayo. That troubled me. They wore it out of respect. I'm not sure what some of them have for motivation for wearing the clothes they wear these days. To me, that's more important. Frankly, many people don't even understand what the significance is, in my opinion.

There's a lot of commercials I don't like. I'm sick of talking heads on coins telling me to save pennies on Presidents' Day among others. Frankly, for Washington to endorse buying American around the 4th of July is hardly offensive in my mind, but then, I believe we SHOULD be buying a lot more "American". How can that be offensive? I'm more offended by people who are unpatriotic waving flags and talking rather than living patriotism. We all know these so I won't detail.

I can't speak to the vampire thing as I haven't seen it and I think I'd need to see it to comment on that one. However there is one thing that bothers me very much and that's putting a lot of these people up on pedestals. Many of our forefathers were slave owners and people go off the deep end over anything potentially close to racial but ignore historic facts that these people, while doing a lot of great, even heroic things, were far from what most people would consider perfect people and frankly if they did that today, they'd be strung up. There's a lot of examples of this in a variety of situations on a lot of people, supported by historic facts and not just a lobbying TV station. I believe it's important to keep things in perspective. I think people should be careful with whom they worship.

Same goes for politics. I don't like lies being told that is so common and now with email it's just too easy for the near-cult factions to spread their BS to all the cult-wannabes. However, to hold someone responsible for what they do and the like is nothing harsh, inappropriate nor is it unpatriotic. Just because you like someone, or they're from your state, doesn't make them perfect nor does it excuse them their sins. Well, at least it doesn't to me.

Plus the related part are the people who turn their head on the good things that even a bad person has done. One can look at various figures. Ironic the number of people who drove doodlebugs but don't admit his involvement in the design of it, the Autobahn, and other things. We probably would not have had the space program advances we had in this country had he not pioneered it. I like to be realistic and pragmatic on things.

Whoa, Cynic. I have to take issue with, "They wore it out of respect." Uh, no. They wore the shirts out of "in your face." This is NOT patriotism, in any way. People who practice xenophobia under the guise of patriotism are not nice people, to put it mildly.

prehaps cynic, if the kids had worn the colors of mexico, orange, white, and green, it might have been tolorated...

Wildchild is right about the definition of the word "holocaust." The word was widely and commonly used use prior to the events of WW2.

There's nothing wrong with our flag flying in the rain unless the weather is so bad that the flag is going to be damaged. And I'm good with anyone, anywhere wearing our flag as a patch or a pin, on any day, no matter what. Telling an American citizen that he or she cannot wear patriotic colors or clothing on ANY day, in this country, is just wrong.

It's not like Cinco de Mayo is even a widely celebrated holiday in Mexico. It's not. It's very localized and it has become a reason for drinking parties in the U.S., much to the bemusement of many Mexicans.