Massive marches demanding the rights of illegal aliens continue throughout the U.S.A., and to much acclaim here in Mexico.

President Vicente Fox called the marches “a democratic expression”.

In contrast, the Mexican government is not pleased with the “democratic expression” of some American citizens who burned the Mexican flag on U.S. soil.

What got their attention was an incident in Tucson, on April 9th, when protesters burned a Mexican flag in front of the Mexican consulate.

The very next day, SRE (Mexican Foreign Ministry) subsecretary Lourdes Aranda, during a press conference with a visiting Russian official, condemned the flag burning:
“We consider unacceptable any act of provocation or vandalism of national symbols.”

I personally do not support the burning of the Mexican flag. I oppose it because I respect Mexico and I don’t believe that burning the Mexican flag helps our cause. In fact, it is counter-productive.

Nor do I support protesting in front of Mexican consulates.

We should be concentrating our energy on the U.S. government. It is our own leaders, both Republican and Democrat, who have gotten us into this predicament.

Nevertheless, an American citizen has the right to burn a flag . After all, if it’s legal to burn an American flag, why not any other flag?

As an American citizen living in Mexico, I have to have a permit to live here legally.

What do you suppose would befall me if I marched in the streets demanding that Mexico change its laws to accommodate me?

They wouldn’t call it “democratic expression”. They would call it “meddling” and I’d be summarily deported.

It’s happened before, as I have reported in previous articles here and here.

Mexicans are zealous in protecting their nation’s sovereignty. Shouldn’t we be also?