I thought I would share an incident that happened to an American citizen honoring Flag Day. Although it didn't happen to me personally, it serves as a reminder that the siutation could happen to anyone of us.

Today is flag day. I decided I would go to the corner of E. Vista Way and
Escondido Blvd and proudly wave my flag. Before going, I made a point to call the Vista police non-emergency number and alert the officers that I would be going there alone to wave my flag and would appreciate it if
they would keep an eye on the area so I could do this peacefully. I gave
them my name and told them I was on my way there. This was 4:55pm. I had planned on waving my flag for a couple of hours.
I set up my chair on the edge of the grass of the park so not to block
the sidewalk in anyway and proceeded to wave my flag. The response was
fantastic!! Many, many beeps, smiles, wooohooos and thumbs up from the
passing people. I smiled, waved and said "Happy Flag day!!" I only saw
one car go by that was negative towards me, waving the flag of Mexico @
me, so I thought it was going very well and maybe my call to police
earlier wasn't necessary, especially since I hadn't seen a police car go by anywhere.
I had waved my flag for about an hour when I noticed someone coming up from behind me. It was a hispanic man and I said "hi" and smiled. He
started to speak spanish and I told him I was sorry but I didn't understand him. Then he started screaming in spanish and I again told him I didn't understand. He pulled out a lighter and tried to burn my
flag!!!! I pulled my flag away from his lighter but he persisted to try
to light it 2 more times. I started screaming "POLICE!!!". He went down
the hill into the park behind me. About 15 minutes passed and I saw no
police, up from behind me came another hispanic man yelling @ me in
spanish, as soon as he saw I had a camera he took off into the park. Not
2 minutes had passed when the first guy came behind me again and was
trying to burn the flag. I again yanked it away from the lighter and told
the man to get away from me. He again screamed in spanish, then started
hovering over me waving his arms, stomping his feet. I stood up from my seat and went to the sidewalk and waved my flag. He followed me,
screaming **** YOU and trying to burn my flag, I asked passerbyers to
call the police. At the mention of the police he went into the park once
again. I waited at the park until almost 7pm, waved my flag but saw NO
police. I went home, called the police and asked thenm where they were
and why did they leave me out there like that. The officer who answered
said the the other officers were on a priority call and that is why no
one could respond. I asked her if that priority call was more important
than me being accosted...she said "oh no, I didn't say that!" I again
asked where the officers were, she said they would be at my home shortly. This was 7pm, I again called the police @ 8:30pm and asked where they were, again I got the priority story. I yelled at the officer and told them they needed to get someone out to my house now. An officer arrived just before 9pm, took the pictures of the two men from the park that I had taken, took a report and said he would pass the pictures out amoung the immigration officers, the minutemen and a couple of others whom might be able to identify them. He gave me a police report number and left. It's a sad day when you can't wave an American flag, in an American park, in an American town on flag day without being assaulted. No wonder people are leaving the area.

**Article provided by SDMM**