Whose Flag Is This, Anyway?

Starting about the time of early Ronald Reagan, the Republican Right played capture-the-flag with Old Glory. If you were a true patriot, you gave all your speeches before massed American flags and wore the symbol of one in your lapel. And, of course, to be a true patriot meant also that you were a member of the Republican Right. No other Americans admitted to the brotherhood and sisterhood of patriotism.

Predictably, this would come to an accusation -- what substitutes for serious debate these days -- that Senator Barack Obama was not wearing a flag pin and therefore, ipso facto, was no patriot.

So, here's a modest proposal. All of us who support Barack Obama for president should now wear flag pins. This will signal that we are all just as patriotic as anyone on the right. And it will signal that we are all for Obama. If we all do this, then when we see a flag pin we will know we are seeing another Obama supporter.

Go right out now and buy a pocketful of flag pins. Give them to all your friends. Show your support for America and for Obama. I've got mine on. It's our flag too!

But, you might ask, what about those flag wavers on the right? That's their problem.

Comments

[Rrhain]

Here's what I would suggest: Obama should carry a flag pin in his pocket. When someone brings up the question, he should say something like:

"I'd like to run a little experiment: I think that ."

Then, he should reach into his pocket, pull out the flag pin, put it on, and then say:

"I think that .

"Now, does the fact that I was wearing this pin the second time change anything? I understand the symbology of showing pride in your country, but surely the American people understand that what is the most important thing, more important than any piece of enamel-covered metal, is how this country serves its citizens. Surely the American people would rather have somebody who cares first and foremost about the direction this country is headed than somebody who cares first and foremost if he has a pin on his lapel."

But, that'll never happen.

[folksonomy]

"Flagged" as favorite, hee hee!

[BlueAsh]

Mr. Hart,

I beg to differ. If we truly believe that a flag pin cannot be taken as an indication of one's patriotism, then we should act according to what we believe and not as we think we should. We should not play by the rules set by the extreme right-wing wackos and be pressured into all wearing flag pins.

What the progressives in America ought to do is to redefine patriotism--and take the narrative away from the right:

If you love America, defend her Constitution. If you love America, help those poor and homeless that are in American cities. If you love America, join the military if you can or send your own children (hello, congressmen and senators!) and fight in the front.

[prof92506]

With all due respect to Mr. Hart.

I'm a loyal fan of Obama but I'll never buy into this flag-pin crap. I don't need to demonstrate my patriotism with fashionable accessories or bumper stickers. I know which country I live in and where my national sentiments lie--and I don't need anybody's religious homilies to tell me right from wrong. I'll leave the flag pins with the traitorous jowly-faced fascists and their corporate facilitators. Even as the neo-cons kill our soldiers and countless innocent civilians in Iraq, even as they send our economy into freefall, and even as they tear up our Constitution and take away our basic freedoms, they cling to their jingoistic symbols and slogans. They're the criminals that brought disaster and ruin upon this country and the world. I want no part of their symbolic world and I certainly do not want to participate in their tilted patriot games. No thanks.

[InjunTrouble]

Someone should give George Stephanopoulos one of these.

[HappyDae]

Flags, schmags!

Is the symbolism of "the first black President" paramount, even if that means a President with cocky ignorance at a time of national danger?

The media have been crucial to Barack Obama's whole candidacy. His only achievements of national significance in his entire career have been media achievements and rhetorical achievements.

Perhaps his greatest achievement has been running as a candidate with an image wholly incompatible with what he has actually been doing for decades. This man who is now supposedly going to "unite" us has for years worked hand in glove, and contributed both his own money and the taxpayers' money, to people who have sought to divide us in the most crude demagogic ways.

With all his expressed concern about the war in Iraq, he has not set foot in Iraq for more than two years-- including the very years when progress has been made against the terrorists there.

Dae Powell
http://www.ShoeStringGenealogy.com

[ICanHasDemocracy]

Obvious to Dae, then if you're not an ex-womanizing, trophy wife hunting, formerly on-the-take from Charles Keating and carousing with lobbyists ( whom you sponsored a bill to BAN) you have no "achievements"- and if you don't vote with Bush 95% of the time you are only "empty words"...w­ords you say you didn't say but said anyway!

ummm.....w­hy don't you actually go look at the voting records before you spout more bogus talking points.

try: www.factcheck.org , www.votesmart.org and http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/

Then come up with something of substance, because all you have of significance are empty words.
Have a nice day, Dae.

[frumke]

Very interesting, Dae.

Your entire post could be directly applied to President Reagan's candidacy, and to his presidency!

[Vermontah]

This stupid flag pin controversy is just another stupid example or Republican stupidity. Have you noticed that particular controversy has gone away? BO has worn a flag pin a couple of time! No more controversy! Hahaha.

Things like this, it's the best the Repugs can do!!!! ROTFL!

Oh, that and trash Obama's wife. What's next, they're going after the kids? Obama's terrorist goldfish?

They're just so embarrassing, these Republicans!!!!! ROTFL!!!

[Raven]

Sorry to disagree with you, sir, but I just don't buy in to the Rovian concept of taking gimmicks from the other side.

And not just because it's Rovian.

It has been a source of real dismay to me during this whole right wing nightmare to see them treat our flag as though it's some sort of swastika.

It's something to be revered, not a gimmick. And just because we would be the ones doing it, wouldn't change the harm it causes one bit.

Let's fly our flag with pride when it's appropriate. And let's keep it off of the bumpers of our cars and stop using it as a prop or piece of jewelry.

Wrong is wrong, no matter which side you're on.

[nolabels]

I believe in what this country was meant to be not what it is. I will be proud when we are on a path towards equal rights for all, mutual individual respect, government representatives that actual work for our best interests and a country that doesn't feel the need to impose its views on the rest of the world, then I will be proud. Until then, the people think that waving a symbol means you are patriotic can keep their flag pins.

[mikekev58]

The Bush administration notwithstanding, this country is on a path towards equal rights for all and mutual individual respect.

To the extent that our government representatives don't work for our best interests, we are as much responsible for that as they are.

As for imposing our beliefs on the rest of the world, I agree that we shouldn't do that. As both a student and then later a teacher I learned that "attitudes are caught, not taught"., and certainly not imposed. We need to lead again by example, as we have done many times in our history.

[wbramh]

Hi Gary,
I have an even more modest prosal for you.
Let's not wear flag pins.
The citizen soldiers who fought under Washington didn't even have uniforms. Somehow they figured out they were on the same team.
The hundreds of New York firemen and police who gave their lives to save others didn't stop to put on their flag pins.
Edward R. Murrow wasn't wearing his flag pin when he spoke to the nation about McCarthyism.
When Franklin Roosevelt spoke about fear during First Inaugural Address, his suit was devoid of patriotic reminders. These and other patriotic Americans have managed to bring the nation together and make others proud of their Country.
Frankly, I don't trust people who wear their beliefs on their sleeves - or lapels.
For only the second time in my adult life, I'm proud of my Country (I was only 15 years old when I worked my way through the crowds to see JFK). I was proud of all of those who sacrificed or risked their lives on September 11th, 2201 - and I'm proud of an America that is willing and ready to vote for a black man for the Presidency of the United States.
Leave the flag displays to the Tom DeLays of the World.
I believe Americans prefer Barack Obama straight up.

[Darnamell]

Thank you.

[TBS]

Well said.

Scott Ritter said, "I can teach a monkey to wave a flag. That doesn't make him patriotic.­"

[huffnpuffn]

Can one buy a flag pin that's made in America? I wonder...

[ManyColored]

All this crap with the flag pins is just wrapping yourself in the American Flag. It doesn't change you in any way. We have KKK members waving the American Flag, we have looney tunes waving the American Flag. So what? That neither makes you more nor less patriotic. The same goes with God Bless America. I refuse to listen to that when it is played. I happen to know the words to the Star Spangled Banner and I sing it when it's played. I don't see too many others doing that. Most probably they don't know the words. You don't need some symbol carried around with you to be patriotic; and you don't need to be religious to be a good person.

[Erdgeist]

I think we should wear bigger flag pins!

[jimmyaj]

How about flag shirts and flag jackets and flag slacks and flag hats, ala Mongomery Flagg?

[Viper]

Wear two or 3, then you are of course 2 or 3 times more patriotic than some one who wears just one!


Regards

[dondiegodelavega]

seems like a lot of people feel that wearing the flag pin would be buying into the right-wing patriot propoganda. it makes me so sad that the neo-conservative movement has been so successful in tying the u.s. flag to their imperialistic quasi-fascist definition of patriotism. if we've ever had a chance at directing attention back to what the stars and stripes truly represent, that time is now.
if you believe in personal freedom, if you believe in providing quality education and health care to every american, if you believe in liberty and justice for all people, then display your flag proudly. that is what the american flag means to me, it's the flag of my country and too many people have fought and died for it to have it dragged through the mud by conservative hate-merchants and pseudo-patriots. makes me sick.

[gwpriester]

You saved me the trouble of posting. Well articulated.

The neo-cons have co-opted the flag

[Axolotl]

To McCain-oriented people, being patriotic means: wearing a flag pin, favoring the senseless killing in Iraq (and not caring about the locals), questioning immigrants or even 2d, 3rd, 4th generation immigrants because they are not American enough, favoring white over color (yes, I know about his adopted daughter, but that is irrelevant in McCain's public self and certainly among his crazed backers).

McCain backers think just because he was shot down and a POW that he is obviously a leader and also that he is entitled to be president. "Look," Joe Scarbrough exclaimed in defending this point, "he can't even raise his arms above his shoulders [from the torture]. Yup, that really qualifies one to be POTUS.

McCain will be qualified when he puts his arms around the whole country, stops rattling sabers constantly, and rebukes all of the trashy people who are taking his campaign on the low road and, thankfully, into the dumpster of history.

[mikekev58]

That's a pretty broad generalization.

Haven't you seen "Unforgiven"?

There are no more black and white hats in this world.