Lil Wayne walks all over the American flag while filming latest music video
NY Daily News: Political protest or accidental flag faux pas? Filming for Lil Wayne’s “God Bless Amerika” music video in New Orleans is under scrutiny after a clip of his performance shows an oversized American flag drop to the street before Wayne tramples Old Glory as he raps.
It may have been overlooked, if not for the incendiary lyrics in the song:
“My country ‘tis of thee/ sweet land of kill ‘em all and let ‘em die/ God bless Amerika/ This so godless Amerika … the stars on the flag are never shining,” the song, off this year’s “I Am Not a Human Being II,” goes.
The one-minute clip shows Weezy, 30, singing in front of the huge red, white and blue flag before it’s let go onto the Hollygrove, New Orleans, street. The drop reveals a group of people standing behind Wayne as he continues to rap, stepping all over the flag as he dances and moves in his hometown.
“All Americans should treat (the flag) with respect,” said John Raughter, an American Legion spokesman speaking generally about the flag and who admitted he had yet to see the clip. “It is the American flag that is draped across the coffins of our fallen heroes when they come back from war. In fact, any veteran can have a flag on their coffin. As such, it’s entitled to the highest respect.”
Desecration of the American flag is protected by the First Amendment so there’s no chance Wayne would face charges for stepping on the Stars and Stripes.
But posted this weekend, just days after the June 14 Flag Day holiday, the video has since gone viral and prompted mostly outrage.
Walking on the flag is “disrespectful and shouldn’t be done,” said Veteran of Foreign Wars spokesperson Randi Law, who saw the clip for the first time Monday. The VFW, which is committed to flag advocacy, does not condone any desecration of the flag, she said. But, she said the clip appears to show the stomp was not done for the cameras. If the official video shows Wayne standing on Old Glory, the VFW may push for an apology, she said.
“You’re clearly not supposed to walk on the American flag and he’s doing that in front of a group of people,” Law said. “I would think the respect of the flag needs to be upheld and clearly it’s not.”
His walking on the flag, combined with the sampling of the lyrics, tells me all I care to know about this “man”. And to think millions will be downloading this song.
DCG
