The morning of the Fourth of July, I attached a steel flagpole bracket to the front porch of my house, so I could fly the American flag proudly on our Day of Independence.Afterward, I looked up and down my block, but mine was the only flag I could see. I knew that two blocks down in front of Fire Station #1 there was a flag flying, and two block in the other direction there'd be a flag in front of the Louden Nelson Community Center, but mine appeared to be the only American flag on a residence that I could see.
Perhaps my neighbors didn't have flags. After all, it's been eight years since most anyone around here has had any faith, let alone pride, in their government. Or perhaps they couldn't fly a flag, as many of them are renters and don't have the right to attach a flag to their house or apartment.
No matter. My personal admiration for the Obama administration was enough to inspire me to proudly raise the Stars and Stripes, and there could not have been a more beautiful day to do so. The sky was clear and blue and the temperature was mild; a perfect day to sit on the porch with Jake and offer a hearty greeting to the passersby.
Addendum: after reading this post my friend Gregory chided me, saying I should "fly the flag regardless of whether or not you support the particular Commander In Chief currently in place. I think it's particularly important to remain patriotic during the troubling times in America while we work to make it better." And he's right.
In my haste to finish a blog post, I used the Obama administration as a shorthand to represent the social and political awakening taking place in the United States during the past couple of years. It was a lazy characterization, but worse it left the wrong impression. I raised my flag on the Fourth of July not because I support only this specific CINC, but because I am so proud that people across this nation are electing responsible representatives and demanding accountability from officials, and I believe the current administration is encouraging and supporting this resurgence of citizenship.
In the most literal sense, a flag represents a country; a marker used at multinational gatherings. But when you, an individual, raise a flag it's no longer a simple marker, it's a proxy for your own patriotism. It becomes imbued with your beliefs about citizenship, governance, rights, and responsibilities. And if the country doesn't currently match your beliefs, flying the flag is an inspiration to you to work for the greater good. (This is also why many people find it so offensive to see the Confederate flag flown, as they don't want to believe there are people in the US currently striving to divide the Union and enslave parts of the population.)
Therefore, I should have been as eager to raise my flag last year or the year before as I was this year. It should have been as natural as studying position papers, donating to progressive candidates, canvassing loved ones, or any of the other things I've been doing to help America reach her potential.
| Post | Reference | More Info |
|---|---|---|
| "Thine alabaster cities gleam, undimmed by human tears!" | Lyrics from America the Beautiful — words by Katherine Lee Bates, melody by Samuel Ward, covered by Mannheim Steamroller (and countless others) |  |
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3 comments:
God Bless America!
Yes, indeed! God, Yahweh, Allah, Buddha...all your blessings upon America.
There is no spoon! There is no God. Strong patriotism leads to fanatical behavior esp. for the uneducated. The world is comprised of 97-98 percent uneducated people. The drone salute the flag and march to the tune they are told to. Under Bush you were not patriotic if you did not support the war. Now you are not patriotic if you don't support health care and legalizing 30 million illegal aliens. I sit back and shake my head at all the children. Repubs think with dollars Dems think with emotions. Nobody seems to think with an open eye to the truth. Pablum for the masses and a flag so they can know what they are marching for.
I do not cherish the flag. I cherish people. To rally around a piece of cloth is absurd. There have been many people who loved their countries so much so that when dangerous changes occurred they still supported their country. Icons allow the simple minded to understand.
I do not need a flag to know what this country used to stand for and what it stands for now. Ignorance, sloth, pacification of the masses through tactics of fear and repression (have you seen the red light cameras?) (they are watching) fragmentation of a unified people into small controllable segments (African American vs Asian American vs...) Me vs. you. And while we fight and watch that "beautiful" flag fluttering in the breeze we fail to see that those in charge are laughing at all of us who sit down, shut-up, and obey. Invisible and visible power controls the people of this great nation. It is a nation covered by a flag drenched in blood, hate, fear, revenge, murder, ignorance, disease of the mind.... etc.
So what flag are you flying? As for me I threw mine in the trash. I fly mine in my heart. The one that flew at the founding of this great nation that has fallen far very far from grace.
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