Last night I watched the Boston Pops fourth of july show on TV. I was impressed with the flag waving, songs, and general display of what it ment to be an American. Then I started wondering if all this was not just the same as seeing a package all wrapped in a beautiful cover, but when you take away the wrapping and open the box, all you see inside is a cake starting to decay, and accelerating at a rapid pace. I think all we see is symbolism over substance, and while we are busy waving flags and singing songs the powers that be are creating more and more regulations that strip away our rights.