When Did Patriotism Become Political?
By Madison S.
A friend of mine recently told me about how her Fourth of July was ruined. It had nothing to do with COVID or a sunburn, but everything to do with an inconspicuous American flag. She and her friends went to the beach and flew an American flag on the back of their truck. After a beautiful day relaxing on the beach, my friends came back to find the back windows smashed and “F**k America” spray-painted across the side of their car. While this experience was shocking, it was hardly surprising. The proud American flag has not only been disrespected but systematically co-opted as a symbol for hate by the Left. When did the flag become so political? When did patriotism become a partisan value and not an American value?
As a proud American, I’ve been sporting my support for the flag in creative ways. Whether it’s a flag on my house, my t-shirt, or my binder, I never imagined how controversial something so uniting could become. I’ve taken it upon myself to purchase a mask (for when I’m out and about in public) that has our flag on it— to my surprise, I have received many dirty looks. I was further perplexed when someone sarcastically told me: “You know you can’t wear that anymore, right?” When did repping the American flag become controversial? To me, the flag is a uniting force proclaiming the importance of independence, liberty, and justice. The flag represents the land of the free and the home of the brave. I worry that making the American flag a controversial symbol is the wrong battle to fight. Patriotism should never be political.
On July 4th, Virginia ordered a large flag taken down on a construction site in Richmond, for fear that the flag would be a target for protesters to vandalize. On July 9th, a flag was cut down by vandals on a 9/11 memorial in Washingtonville, New York— the memorial was placed in honor of five firefighters who died in the 2001 attacks. While videos of protesters burning the flag are nothing new, those videos have typically been from countries on the other side of the planet with ideologies antithetical to our own— not videos of fellow citizens. These are all just a few of the examples of how our flag has been disrespected in recently. So why is our flag being shamed?
Shaming our flag is shaming our founding principles. I am not saying that by representing the flag, you have to be proud of every moment of American history. Our country’s history has its evils— but so does every other civilization throughout history. What’s different about America is that our history is a continuous march towards freedom and a consistent progression to better uphold the principles of our Constitution. Shaming our flag, shames our history, and ultimately disrespects the brave Americans who risked it all to serve our country.
While partisanship has always existed, Americans could still theoretically unite around a shared culture and history. We are not a country bound by a single nationality or religion; instead, our national unity is derived from a shared devotion to the American way. However, partisanship has eaten away at that common denominator. This shaming of the flag isn’t new— this anti-Americanism has been brewing— and ultimately sparked on September 1st, 2016, when NFL player Colin Kaepernick kneeled during the national anthem as an act of protest. Since then, the country has become significantly more divided, with each side of the political aisle not budging. This has resulted in an ideological escalation on the part of the Left. In 2016, Kaepernick didn’t have to stand for the flag. In 2018 the Betsy Ross flag was racist. In 2020 the American flag is racist. Supporting the flag is about supporting our foundational principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It’s not about supporting the revisionist history the Left has continued to perpetuate.
The colors and design of our flag are no accident. As most of us know, the 50 stars represent the 50 states, and the 13 stripes represent the 13 colonies. Less commonly known are what our colors, red, white, and blue represent. The red represents hardiness and valor, the white represents purity and innocence, and the blue represents perseverance, vigilance, and justice. Also, let’s not forget who we associate with designing the first American flag. Her name was Betsy Ross— a proud American woman who sewed the values of our country into one tapestry.
Our flag is a symbolic rallying cry to put into action the principles that define our country. From the iconic picture of the flag flying over Iwo Jima to the massive flag over ground zero after 9/11 attack to the flag on the moon, the American flag represents the triumph of good over evil and freedom over tyranny. As a country, we have historically understood this. In fact, our flag’s meaning is so powerful that people protesting for freedom in other countries fly it as a sign of unity and solidarity. The protests in Hong Kong in December didn’t march with the flag of Hong Kong, but with the American flag. If anything, the American flag represents the exact principles the protestors who burn it are protesting for— freedom, equality, and justice. Why they continue to burn it is beyond me.
Our flag is not something to be ashamed of, but rather proud of. Respect our flag, respect our authorities, respect our people, and respect each other. Whether you believe in what the flag stands for or not, let’s not shame it or the people who proudly display it. Besides, isn’t representing our flag an act of free speech? Let’s no longer divide over disagreements with each other, but instead come together as one nation. If you have felt similar sentiments of judgment and shame for supporting and commemorating your country, just remember what the flag actually represents and celebrate it! Don’t let others bully you into compliance. If our founding fathers did that, we wouldn’t have an America to begin with!
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