A reader sent me 5 photographs of people in Arizona in front of the capitol buil ding.

Many American flags had been placed on the ground.Graffiti of some sortwas s cribbled on some of the flags. Men, women and children were shown striding acros s the flags, stomping on them, spitting at on them and burning them. There are many things one could say about the mind-set of those who desecrate a nation's flag. Intelligence is not one of them. Desecrating a nation's flag is not argument to persuade others to your point of view. It is not a demonstration to show that your actions have merit. It is not e ven a show of loyalty to an opposing principle, such as those who might rip apar t a Nazi flag to show loathing of fascism. To try to debase the flag of the United States by throwing it whole upon the gro und and stomping on it, is the attempt of the mindless, savages who stick pins in dolls, or drink his enemy's blood---as if such actions were power-enabling. The flag of the United States is unique among nations. And most people know it. It symbolizes freedom.No other flag, save perhaps that of Great Britain, carries so powerful amessage. To desecratethe flag of the United States of America means one has no regard for freedom, and more: no regard for the human life freedom protec ts and advances. What does freedom mean in action? Freedom is the absence of cocerion; therefore, in action it is theopportunity to live one's life, to achieve happiness. What provi des us with material happiness? Prosperity. How is prosperity achieved? Through pro fit. When I was a free-lance artist working in Manhattan, in order to live, profit w as essential. I had to have money to buy oils, canvas and stretchers, illustrati on board, brushes, and all the other materials and equipment necessary to runnin g an artist studio. There were also models' fees to pay and my own rent and groc eries. When I was paid for my illustrations and/or paintings, the price I received had to be at least a bit more than my combined expenses. To be paid less than my exp enses, or to break even meant I could continue to produce paintings only by goin g into debt. If such a situation continues for any length of time, the business g oes into bankruptcy. Profit, even a little profit margin, kept me afloat. The same is true of any bus iness whether you are a free-lance businessperson, or own a small company or a m iddle-size or large one. Profit is not "surplus income." It is not "gravy." It is the muscle and bone, the essential means of doing business.It is the means to keep ongoing. Without profit, b usiness is impossible. If one takes in a bit more than the cost of one's own exp enses, it means the business can stay afloat without undue strain. If it earns a lot more than its expenses, it can expand, offering more values to a larger clie ntele, creating more jobs improving services and so forth. Many people, including businesspeople, do not understand the virtue, purpose and need of profit. We have been led to believe profit is somehow "dirty" or "usurio us" as if making more than one's expenses was somehow "dishonest." The truth is, profit is essential to doing business. Profit, since it supports a businessperson's life and that of his employees, is a virtue. By means of effic iently producing values and keeping a business' product desirable, profit says: "You're doing good. You're benefiting life."

The attack on profit is ancient. Today, Leftist habitually attack profit as a su re-fire way to create conflict between those who earn their own way and those wh o do not. Mr. Obama does the same, feverishly trying to make Americanshate "the ri ch." Such individuals try to convince us profit is some kind of evil that destroy s society. The opposite is true. Profit is what makes prosperity, improving and increasing the number of values t hat businesses offer---whether in manufacturing or in service industries. It is p rofit that raises the standard of living for everyone. It is the lack of profit that is destructive. A lack of profit destroys a busine ss, a neighborhood and a society. But profit requires individual freedom. One look at the difference between North and South Korea, or again, during the Berlin Wa ll the difference between East and West Berlin, attests to that. Those cities de monstrate the individual's need of freedom and the prosperity possible when he h as it. Profit generates prosperity. Our flag symbolizes freedom. It is the portable display of what our Statue of Lib erty represents. When one sees the stars and stripes, one immediately thinks of f reedom, of opportunity, of happiness. People the world over know that. Those who desecrate the flag of the United States of America are making an expli cit statement. They are not stomping upon a mere piece of fabric. They are stompi ng on a symbol of man's need for freedom and the best that he can achieve. What d o you call a creature who seeks to destroy the best in man? A criminal? A heinous m onster? That which feeds and breeds upon a corpse? Whatever description you choose , he is a killer. Not even anger is any longer possible toward such creatures. What remains is only a cold contempt re-enforcing a determined resolve to never give in to those who would kill freedom, the profit it can generate and the prosperity that follows.