Men's Vogue magazine has commissioned Michael Bierut to design a "politically neutral" USA pin "in an attempt to end the flag-pin controversy." Comments Bierut, "I tried to defamiliarize a very familiar configuration of letters. A flag is a corporate logo. A monogram is much more private." 5000 of the pins are for sale with the proceeds benefiting a great nonprofit, Puppies Behind Bars.

Here's more on the organization:

The New York-based charity, which has been training prison inmates to raise service dogs since 1997, has recently turned its attention to veterans, with a new initiative called Dog Tags. The program provides dogs for soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are physically injured or suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The dogs, Labradors and golden retrievers, are trained to do everything from reminding their companions to take their medication to allaying combat-induced fears that make everyday life back home impossible.

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(Photo: Richard Pierce)