Preserving the Flag

Re “Monumental Crusade for First Lady,” July 14: Ten million dollars to preserve our flag?

Can’t we just kind of fake it, i.e., use some of the threads from the old flag to make new thread, and redye the thread or wool? I’m not into textiles, but I suggest we can get it done with $50,000-plus and use the rest of the $9.9 million to buy schoolbooks for our elementary kids. After all, preserving (or restoring) our kids’ education must be our first priority, and I’d bet that Betsy Ross and Francis Scott Key would have agreed.

KATHLEEN REUTER

Downey