Samuel Alito spun quite a yarn in explaining why the American flag was hung upside down in his yard just days before Joe Biden was inaugurated as president of the United States.

Moreover, many of the insurrectionists defiantly carried an upside-down U.S. flag as they stormed the capital on January 6, 2021.

Election denialism has long run rampant, due to Donald Trump’s constant, false statements that he won the presidential race. Was that the real reason that the faux pas over the flag occurred? Does Alito believe the election was rigged?

Alito quickly distanced himself from the scandal.

He claimed in an interview with Fox News that his wife got into a nasty verbal argument with a neighbor over some presidential campaign signs that she considered offensive, and flew the flag upside down in protest.

Doesn’t sound credible coming from a Justice who is probably the most outspoken among the hard-right conservative bloc of fellow judges on the high court.

But here’s the thing: The American flag should never become embroiled in a petty political dispute, and used in such a disrespectful way – especially by one of the nine in the highest court in the land.

So, Alito should have doled out a few bucks to a high-flying public relations firm to come up the better excuse than a neighborhood dispute for forsaking Old Glory.

And, while he’s at it, he should recuse himself from any presidential election-related cases pending before the court.

After all, appearances truly count in such a high-stakes environment!

Ron Cooper ©2024