Last time we were at Fort McHenry was 1979 when my wife and I were camping with friends in Virginia just south of D.C. We took one day and went back into Baltimore where I'd lived for three years back in the 50s. Took them by the Fort. Amazingly, after some 26 years, I still knew how to find my way around town (and I was just a kid by in the 50s.

Used to be the flag was something the country was very proud of. Today we hear of homeowner associations and even towns restricting if and where it can be displayed. What are we coming to?