Sometimes, though, besides commercialism, people elevate the red, white and blue above reason. One example of this is happening in Lodi, where a Sikh temple has a Sikh insignia banner flying, as was reported in Recordnet.com.

"And that irritates Dennis Regan, a 63-year-old Air Force veteran who lives less than a mile east of the new temple. If the Sikh worship hall is going to fly its religious emblem over the neighborhood, he said, it should hoist an American flag even higher."

I cannot help but wonder if it weren't a Sikh temple would Regan be so annoyed.

"The real problem here is ignorance," said Amardeep Singh, executive director of the New York-based Sikh Coalition. "Our articles of faith make us stand out."

The nonprofit Sikh Coalition was founded shortly after Sept. 11, in response to an incident in which an elderly Sikh and two teenagers were assaulted in Queens the night of the terrorist attacks. The organization promotes civil rights for Sikhs and provides legal assistance for victims of hate crimes, airport profiling and other causes.

Singh said the Sikh flag represents peace, truth and justice. "They're the values that you think anyone would want in their neighborhood," he said.

While all Sikh halls fly their religious flag, an American flag would be an odd addition, he said.

Regan doesn't respect such a notion, though, and I cannot help but agree with Jespal Singh Brar, a Lodi resident and temple member.

"America is all about freedom of religion, the pursuit of happiness," he said. "It's almost ridiculous, because the ideals of the Sikh religion are intertwined with American values."

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