Life of Wry

I’ve not really been a Flag Day person… in all my years. In fact, I didn’t know it was Flag Day until I finished my second article about our flag.. then it became obvious. Two articles down, and numerous others in my cue, all pondering the question about what the American flag says to people (these days). I detect a theme… and a lot of uneasiness about the question.

The flag and what it means (these days) has been a source of real friction between my brother Matt and me. During the pandemic, he and Eric draped the world’s biggest flag across the entire front facade of their very prominent restaurant in Belmont Shores (Long Beach’s upscale beach community). It attracted local news outlets and, I presume, a lot of local attention. It was intended to celebrate a return to business … like, we made it, we survived, life is normalizing, we are open for in-person business…come on down!

I’m sure I congratulated him on that, for making it through a year (or two?) of trying to keep five restaurants afloat, plus staff. And I maybe sorta said I was a bit uncomfortable with the flag part… because… anymore, the flag has become a symbol of trumpism and all the horrors that represents. It’s a big, glaring, bull horn of a sign that you are a trumper.

Matt argued with me about that (he hates the former guy, now a twice-impeached, dozen-fold-indicted, newly convicted felon, and all around asshole of the highest order). He said that’s not what the flag means to him and he’s not going to let the magats co-opt it. Well, that’s nice Matty, but they already have, and everybody knows it, and putting a three-story, wall-to-wall flag on the front of your restaurant brands you. It will surely impact business (maybe for the better, considering Legends’ neighborhood). It certainly makes me feel [hugely] unwelcome in the restaurant. He did not like hearing that one bit.

And so our arguments have gone.. for years now. It’s truly a sore subject. Sore for me, too, because I want my flag back and resent 1) their stealing it for their movement and 2) the incredible irony of their faux patriotism — magats are not about democracy or the constitution or the freedoms any of that represents. They are an anti-democracy party, following their authoritarian leader into full-on fascism.

Hrrumph.

Well.

I’m just going to paste Dan Rather’s piece from today about Flag Day. He covers the territory pretty well, and offers some history I didn’t know (or maybe just forgot). Take it away, Dan.

IT’S THE AMERICAN FLAG

Of the days Americans commemorate, Flag Day has never had the esteem of, say, the 4th of July. It’s not even a federal holiday. But today we are reminded that everyone could and should be comfortable celebrating and displaying the American flag, not just those who have co-opted it for political purposes.

On a day chosen to honor our nation’s most revered emblem, the American flag has regretfully become a symbol of division rather than unity. In the upside-down political world in which we find ourselves, the flag has been seized by supporters of a political candidate who wants to dismantle democracy. As MAGA extremists fly the flag for someone who tried to subvert a free and fair election, do they recognize the irony? 

We have come to the point where Old Glory is being used to fracture the country. To fly the flag, especially on a car or pickup, is to (wink, wink) show your support for the convicted felon/presumptive Republican presidential nominee and his insurrectionist supporters. Many who don’t support him now feel uneasy about flying the flag for fear they will be labeled as right-wing extremists. The flag is not just for Republicans, or just for Democrats, or just for those in between. It is meant for all.

To see an American flag waving in all its grandeur has always been a point of pride and patriotism for me. It is a powerful symbol of freedom and all that our country represents. To see it relegated to a political prop doesn’t sadden me; it hardens my resolve. Every citizen should feel comfortable flying the flag.

So many have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can live free. I remember World War II, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and all the conflicts in between — so many flag-draped coffins of servicemen and women who died serving our country. So many military funerals where families are handed a flag, folded 13 times, representing the original 13 colonies, by a member of the honor guard, who utters these words: “On behalf of the president of the United States and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.” 

Today is Flag Day, established by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 to honor the Stars and Stripes, a moniker credited to the Marquis de Lafayette during the Revolutionary War when the first iteration of the flag was created.  On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress declared: “Resolved, That the flag of the thirteen United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

A quote attributed to George Washington explains the choices of symbol and color. “We take the stars from heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her, and the white stripes shall go down to posterity, representing our liberty.”

As states were added, so were stars. The flag we fly today, the 27th, became the flag after Hawaii was admitted to the Union in 1959. Flown for more than 63 years, it is the longest-used version of Old Glory.

Legends have told about the flag, of Betsy Ross sewing one of the first. Anthems have been written about it — see “The Star Spangled Banner.” The flag is so revered that it has a code established by Congress as to how it should be handled and displayed.  

On this Flag Day, remember what our flag is meant to represent — the ideals of America: democracy, freedom, and justice … for everyone. Fly it with pride.

If you value independent journalism that provides critical information to protect our democracy, please consider upgrading as a supporting member. It allows me to keep Steady sustainable and free for those who cannot afford it, especially in an election season when we need everyone to see it. Thank you.

No matter how you subscribe, I thank you for reading.

Stay Steady,
Dan