Dear Mr. Brin - An Open Letter

Fifty years ago this week, when I was a 21-year-old college senior, I was in the Soviet Union, sent by the government of Israel to smuggle in Jewish religious items and smuggle out names of Jews who wanted to escape the Soviet Union and could then be issued a formal invitation to Israel.

I was chosen because I was a committed Jew and because I knew Hebrew and Russian. I was no hero, but the trip did entail risk. The Soviets did not appreciate people smuggling out names of Soviet citizens who sought to emigrate, information the Israeli government and activist groups in America used to advocate on their behalf.

Burn Down The Mission

Flag-burning has become a hot topic again. As much as I personally dislike the idea of desecrating our national symbol, it would seem that outlawing it would violate the precepts of the freedoms on which America was founded. Let us remember this country rebelled against a tyranny based on the idea that citizens have the right to disagree with their government and express these grievances without fear of retaliation from the government. Further, personal property rights are a major philosophical concept in America freedom. Therefore, if the flag is my own personal property and I burn it in representation of my grievances, then the basis of American freedom is in line with action.