A Modest Proposal for the 4th: Take Back Old Glory

In Dr. Seuss's The Sneetches, there were two kinds of these odd beach-dwelling creatures -- those with stars on their bellies and those without. The ones with the stars saw themselves as inherently superior:

When the Star-Belly Sneetches had frankfurter roasts

Or picnics or parties or marshmallow toasts,

They never invited the Plain-Belly Sneetches.

They left them out cold, in the dark of the beaches.

Then along came a stranger, one Sylvester McMonkey McBean, who had a contraption that applied -- for a price -- stars to the bellies of the decoratively challenged:

Then they yelled at the ones who had stars at the start,

"We're exactly like you! You can't tell us apart.

We're all just the same, now, you snooty old smarties!

And now we can go to your frankfurter parties."

Then the snobby Sneetches had their stars removed -- yes, McBean's machine could do that, too -- and starlessness became the coin of the realm, after which it all descended into on-again-off-again chaos until it was impossible to keep track of who'd been who and they decided to just all get along as equals -- albeit impoverished equals, as they'd given all of their money to the con man who'd repeatedly applied and removed their stars.

But enough, for now, about Sneetches.

Of all the stupid things done by the anti-war crowd, the most gratuitously moronic was allowing the sanctimonious hypocrites of the right to co-opt the nation's most basic icon, its flag. The emblem of the country's highest aspirations was mindlessly ceded to the holier-than-thou zealots who used it as a bludgeon against the less fanatical.

Having unburdened itself of patriotism, the left proceeded over the years to also give away religion, national security and, finally, the elections themselves, but this devolution, into the pathetic puddle of unprincipled, acquiescent wimpiness that the Democrats have become, started with -- or rather, without -- the flag. It's hard to remember a presidential election in which that cavalier surrender hasn't exacted a serious price.

Eventually the lapel was established as the battlefield, and the degree of one's patriotic fervor is now presumed based on whether or not said lapel sports a flag pin. The flag pin wearer clearly loves his country -- for Christ's sake, he's wearing its flag! -- and as for the flagless, well, one can only wonder why they hate America so much that they won't allow its proudest symbol on their persons.

Republicans love to demagogue the flag, and this year that and fear-mongering are all they have. The presence or absence of the mini-Stars 'N' Stripes has the potential to erupt into a weeks-long October distraction, with the contemptible castrata of the media not just providing the stage but also trilling in the chorus. But we can prevent it, and so easily that there's really no excuse not to.

All of the conventional political wisdom of decades is mere rubble in the wake of the Bush-Cheney catastrophes. Whether or not they have health insurance or can afford the gas to drive to their jobs is more important to many past "values" voters than whether or not homosexual couples can call their unions "marriage." Significant numbers of previously intolerant evangelicals are now focusing on saving the earth instead of merely hating hordes of its occupants. Formerly dark red states are purple and may well turn blue. The right is reeling, they can't find a single thing to point to that's better than it was before Bush, so while they're busy dealing with issues of basic survival, let's just slip in there and take back the damn flag. Take it back from the war criminals and their apologists and enablers that have wrapped themselves in it even as they've been methodically destroying the republic for which it stands.

Barack Obama, who earlier took some flack for his empty lapel, is on the cover of the latest Rolling Stone with flag pin gleaming. We should follow his lead. Everyone who's voting for Obama -- and especially those who are public figures (i.e. Keith Olbermann, Jack Cafferty, Rachel Maddow) must immediately procure a flag pin and not be seen without it before November 5th. If you can't do it with pride, do it as an act of subversion.

When everyone's wearing the flag it will be neutralized. It will cease to provide cover, and then all those with a need to display their moral superiority will have to find a new symbol to set them apart. A new image to mount on a pin and attach to fabric that says, "I am, in my essence, better than you."

I suggest the Star-Belly Sneetch.

Comments

[KindAndThoughtful]

Happy Fourth of July everyone! Have a safe and happy holiday!

[doctorwang]

You're so kind....an­d thoughtful too!

[jaegrady]

I have to disagree with this point. I was passing an SUV with various incarnations of the flag plastered to the bumper and hanging from window clips yesterday and it really disgusted me. I feel the same way about those pins that are one of the "non-topics" of this campaign season. I don't need the likeness of an American flag somewhere in my field of vision at all time to remind me of where I am. Those same people who claim to revere the flag so much are the same ones who bastardize it by slapping it on the back of their gas hog next to some lame slogan or perhaps on a pair of boxer shorts. The flag belongs on a pole, end of story. The idea that I need to conform to the shallow displays of the right to prove my loyalty is laughable. In the words of Samuel Johnson, "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.­"

[Galt907]

I am a proud American, my son is a proud Marine, I am also proud to be progressive and liberal, the flag, however, is not the symbol of what we aspire to be. That icon is the Constitution. Flags originated as war penants, painted on shield and helmets to let soldiers know if they were killing their enemies or their comrades. The emblem was transferred to pennants raised aloft to identify the location of commanders and the proper direction in which to retreat, if necessary. While the flag is widely accepted as a national symbol, its stars and stripes pale when compared to the glory of The U.S. Constitution.

[protagonia]

It's also a good tactic of diffusing counter-attack for not being patriotic.

[recruitgal]

I think Barack and all of us Democrats should dress up like Uncle Sam, with the hat and beard and the whole works, and wear nothing else until Election Day.

We should refuse to discuss any issues. Anytime we make a speech, we should just sing the national anthem at the top of our voices, and we ride around in a Humvee, firing our guns in the air.

That way nobody will mistake us for regular American citizens - they will know that we are True Patriots.

[Salax]

Oops! Mr. Slansky appears to be about 29 and couldn't have been there in the late 60's to witness any flag burning. Those of us who were there, in SF anyway, wondered who the flag burners were and where they came from. See, we knew our friends in the movement and didn't recognize the guys burning flags. Much later at an Environmental Law Conference I met a man who insisted the flag burners were CIA people, his people. Certainly plausible.

[AdlaiStevenson]

Thank you for this wonderful post. It captures a great deal of truth in a magnificent manner.

[cheerleaderBush]

You wanna be a good American? Lead by example of your actions, do volunteer and charity work - be a good neighbor, a positive,j compassionate force in your community - whether you're wearing a flag pin or not is irrelevant when you're doing selfless deeds for others.

Merely slapping on a lead-painted piece of metal made in China proves nothing.

[jaegrady]

I agree wholeheartedly!

[prochange]

Me too. All this display of flags reminds me of Nazi Germany pictures. It is just a marketing tool to guide idiots. It does not mean anything, or as Galt907 wrote: the flag was a war tool. Nothing I want to be identified with.

It is still used as a war tool today. I remember after 9/11 I was an outcast because I did not display a flag somewhere and did not join in the war cry for revenge. It was unamerican to have a different opinion and to be against the war. Now slowly people are realizing that electing Bush twice and being for the war may have cost them their comfortable lives.

How about using your brains for a change. If the U.S. does not wake up quickly, it will be a third world country. It is Indepence day today. It was meant as indepence from a king and for equality.of all citizens. What do we have today ?More and more superrich and more and more poor people. People in England ( Europe) have a better life. India and China will overtake the US in the next decades. The US has been lulled by the media and the corporations to believe that that it is the country with the best quality of life. And because people are so uneducated and travel so little ( well, only a few can afford to travel with the dollar being worth nothing anymore) they still believe that fairy tale.

[rbe1]

Screw the flag. It's a symbol. What does the first commandment say about the worship of icons ? All of this stuff about flag pins and the mealy mouthed democrats' reactions to the republicans' charges about patriotism proves that the democrats don't have what it actually takes to be true patriots.

[Citizen54]

How about little Constitution pins?

[DoomtoNeoCons]

That's actually a really great idea! Where can someone get an item like that?

[phobophobe]

I love that idea!
One way to do it would be: Find an old button you no longer need, or buy a blank button at a craft store. Then print out a copy of the Constitution, shrunk down to the size that will fit on the button. Then glue it on.
Another way would be to print out a tiny Constitution, have it laminated, and attach a pin to the back.
You could dangle a little flag charm and other trinkets. . . . Sorry, a crafter gets carried away sometimes.

[Wilburrr]

http://pinsforpatriots.com/constitution-goldplated.html

(They're probably made in China...)

“I prefer a man who will burn the flag and then wrap himself in the Constitution to a man who will burn the Constitution and then wrap himself in the flag” -- Craig Washington"

[AdlaiStevenson]

That is a great idea. Who can produce them? What would they look like?

[midknightryder13]

Well, how about a pin that replicates the "We the People" from the Constitution? Maybe in black script on a parchment colored background? And if you really want to get fancy -- a Red, White and Blue border around it?

[TheOpinionGuy]

Flag pins are made in China.

[ESerafina42]

Just what I was going to say. Also, worship will always trump respect, unfortunately.

[Janet Carter]

Wearing a flag pin does not make a person "patriotic­." And wearing a cross does not make a person a "Christian­." They are just jewelery usually made out of cheap metal.

[JackG]

Shhh...don­'t let this get public. One day Obama was without lapel pin and therefore unpatriotric
;, the next day he was with flag pin and now patriotric. See how simple it is.
One flag pin and he convinced the MSM and the average vote that he was a patriot.

[LeonBNJ]

I currently work at the main office of the Port Authority of NY & NJ. As you well know they were severely affected by the 9/11 attacks on the WTC towers which they owned. Many employees lost fellow employees that day, their workplace ruined and going through the painful rebuilding afterwards. I notice in the offices that almost all suit wearing executives wear flag pins or ones that reference the attack on the WTC on 9/11 on their lapels.
As to newscasters, remember after 9/11 where almost all wore them. Then there was some critizism that came out about it as it suggested they were not being neutral and showing support for Bush rather than for the Country.
All politicans they should all wear flag pins made in the USA on thier suit lapels. It is a simple thing, it shouldn't be looked upon as the symbol of one party or another. By all of all parties wearing them, it takes away that Republican control of that tiny symbol and says it represents all of America.

[recruitgal]

But why?

Do you think that the people who don't wear a pin secretly hate America?

[sino53]

Not necessarily.

But I do notice that of the posts I've seen from "progressives" here on this July 4th, so far not a single one has wished America well on her July 4th birthday. Instead, they've all taken the opportunity to "remind" us of how much America falls short of THEIR personal expectations.

No matter how much you sincerely disagree with someone, you can still wish them a "Happy Birthday" on their birthday.

If you can't even do that much, then it's hard to escape the conclusion that you just don't like them at all.

[ESerafina42]

I sympathize with what you and your co-workers went through, but that still doesn't give you the right to mandate what politicians should and shouldn't wear. Some people have argued that "wearing" the flag in any form, including as a pin, is against the code for displaying it. Should they also be subject to your draconian decree? Also, how on earth would you enforce such a silly requirement? What if they forgot one day? Would they be taken out and shot at dawn?

Personally, I think the whole post is a terrible idea. People should wear their flag pins if they're so inclined, and if not it doesn't mean they love this country any less. Otherwise, we're just buying into the right's "flagolatry" and stigmatizng anyone who chooses NOT to go along.

[moderate1]

Hmmmm, wear the American flag as an act of subversion­.....nice.

Happy 4th of July everyone. God bless America, the greatest nation in the world.

[recruitgal]

I don't know about that. Sweden is pretty cool.

[MilwGonzo]

I've been flying an American flag for many years - not out even the tiniest deference to Bush, the so-called war on terror or any other politics du jour. I fly the flag because my Dad was a WWII veteran and I can't stand the notion that pinheads and blowhards like Limbaugh, Cheney or other fake patriots demean its meaning.

[protagonia]

Not to subvert America, but to show those who DO subvert America that we've come to take our symbols back. Some have the guts for that. Some don't.

[Gatormouth]

For whatever reasons, display of the flag as article of personal jewelry has become identified with the political right in this country. I am old enough to remember when such a display was generally considered tacky and even disrespectful. Why not, as an alternative, something like a blue and white striped pin with red stars on the border and, in gold letters, "Long Live The Constitution"? Or would that be offensive to the Right? Would we be divided into those who support the pols who control the use of the symbol and those who support the "Republic for which it stands"?

[ESerafina42]

From Wikipedia (United States Flag Code):

The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, firefighters, police officers, and members of patriotic organizations.

[paulbk]

When I see a flag pin on war mongering, draft dodging, loud mouth, chicken-hawks like Cheney, Limbaugh, and Hannity I want to spit.

Flag pin..., no thanks. I’m happy with my DD-214 tucked away in a drawer.

[Gatormouth]

Scoundrels wrap themselves in the symbol of our republic while mocking and subverting the Constitution, which is its definition. The non-use, or mis-use of a symbol is a minor thing when compared with treason.

[Kassandra]

I dunno, call me hopefully romantic, but, I've been flying the flag sine the 90's AND I've got a flag pin too, on my denim jacket.

When I told my friends I was getting a flag, they thought I was going to get a "rainbow flag" ( you know) and were shocked, shocked I tell you , that I wanted to fly the national flag.

Now, the flag I bought so long ago has tatters and chemical burns in it from accidents with, well, chemicals ( it IS vinyl). It's a worn old thing and I just hung it out today.

My right wing, evangelical neighbors NEVER hang theirs out until I do.......w­hich I find passing strange :=]

Nonetheless, I am reminded of this quote after reading the article:

"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." - Sinclair Lewis

[TimeJumper]

It has already arrived and is led by the neocons and their unrepentant followers who sow the seeds of fear and ignorance in hopes of bending a nation to their will. But we know better, for this country was conceived by progressives and reared by a citizenry that has always valued determination, innovation and perseverance over false demagoguery and its hubris patricians.

[ESerafina42]

Good for you, but it sounds like it's time you got a new flag. From Wikipedia (United States Flag Code):

"When a flag is so tattered that it can no longer serve as a symbol of the United States, it should be destroyed in a dignified manner, preferably by burning. The American Legion and other organizations regularly conduct dignified flag-burning ceremonies, often on Flag Day, June 14."

[midknightryder13]

While I appreciate your devotion to the flag, if it is is an bad shape as you describe, you shouldn't display it in that condition.
However, flags are not supposed to be just 'thown away', flag ettiquette states worn flags should be burned. But, since your flag is made of VINYL, that simply wouldn't work. (For obvious reasons)
So while I'm not sure how you should dispose of it, you should replace it. Perhaps you should get a rainbow stars and stripes -- THAT would set your neighbors off. ;-)

[nolabels]

I will stick to telling my friends why Obama is better on the issues. No flag pin for me.