As the election draws nearer, Husband and I are trying our damnedest to avoid political clashes with friends and family, but sometimes a simple question like “For whom are you voting?” leads to an explosion. Husband was told at a wedding last week that he personally will be responsible for “ruining the country” by voting for “the first black president.” And today he got this e-mail from a friend:

Hot on the heels of his explanation for why he no longer wears a flag pin, presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama was forced to explain why he doesn’t follow protocol when the National Anthem is played.

According to the United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171, during rendition of the national anthem when the flag is displayed, all present except those in uniform are expected to stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart.

‘As I’ve said about the flag pin, I don’t want to be perceived as taking sides,’ Obama said. ‘There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression. And the anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all. It should be swapped for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song ‘I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing.’ If that were our anthem, then I might salute it.’

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this could possibly be our next president!!

I, for once, am speechless. He has absolutely NO pride in this country!!!!!

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I give you Lacey’s Law: The veracity of a rumor-monging e-mail is in inverse proportion to the number of exclamation points that adorn its ultimate sentence.

So Husband sent back this, and the originator of the e-mail responded testily. A mutual friend, also copied on the messages, wrote back,

Gentlemen …. I urge you to watch this very special video message I made for you both … turn up the sound, and break out the Kleenex ( no, not for that). See what you made me do?

I’m forced to agree with Obama— it does make a better national anthem.