Published on Wednesday, April 3, 2002 by Common Dreams  What the American Flag Stands For by Charlotte Aldebron - The American flag stands for the fact that cloth can be very important. It is against the law to let the flag touch the ground or to leave the flag flying when the weather is bad. The flag has to be treated with respect. You can tell just how important this cloth is because when you compare it to people, it gets much better treatment. Nobody cares if a homeless person touches the ground. A homeless person can lie all over the ground all night long without anyone picking him up, folding him neatly and sheltering him from the rain.   http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0403-01.htm