So it’s come to this: a bill passed by the legislature and awaiting Governor Pawlenty’s signature in Minnesota reads as follows:

[325E.65] SALE OF AMERICAN FLAGS.

No person may sell or offer for sale in this state an American flag or a novelty or other item containing a representation of the American flag unless the flag or item was manufactured in the United States of America.

That’s right, in a few days, barring an unlikely veto, it will be illegal to sell a US flag in Minnesota unless it was made in America. But wait… the bill doesn’t limit itself to traditional cloth flags. As worded, every “item containing a representation of the American flag” and sold in the state must be American-made. Does this count for electronic items? Aren’t digital images “representations”? I think so! How stupid.

I tell you what: let’s test it out. I got one of my Canadian friends to draw a picture of the American flag. I will sell you the Canadian-manufactured representation (digital image) of an American flag for the low price of $1. What a bargain!