WTF is Flag day anyway?

“On June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress took a break from writing the Articles of Confederation and passed a resolution stating that “the flag of the United States be 13 stripes, alternate red and white,” and that “the union be 13 stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

Over 100 years later, in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson marked the anniversary of that decree by officially establishing June 14 as Flag Day.”
–https://www.history.com/news/what-is-flag-day

A frame of reference

You at least needed to know what we’re talking about before we talk about it. Is it bad that I assume people don’t know what flag day is? I personally think it’s a logical conclusion. My older readers and those who espouse patriotism may still care for the Stars and Stripes; they may feel the deep significance and symbolism.

Why do we have a flag anyway? Is it time to abolish it? People outside of America don’t understand the fanatics we have that wave our flag and have national pride. Maybe it’s because outsiders have it pretty crappy where they live? I’m still trying to figure out why kids were raising the Mexican flag in CA. If you left Mexico and came here, why are you flying the flag of the country you left? Sure, respect for heritage and history, but if this is the land of opportunity, why not raise the flag of the nation that gave you a chance at a better life?

United States

50 individual states form this union. These states are individually represented as stars on our national flag. Each one has a sovereign border, as it should be- individually governing itself and submitting to the cooperation of the union. The state should only MINIMALLY be governed by the federal as a way to deconflict certain issues as they arise that the states cannot individually handle and to promote interstate commerce for the betterment of the nation.

The American flag represents an ideal: the sovereign individual contributing their best to the collective by choice rather than coercion.

Mental Grenade

A symbol of oppression

Is an object or symbol that some groups associate with oppression (or appropriate), trapped in their definition? Biblically, God placed a rainbow in the sky as a promise to the human race to never destroy the entire world by flood again. The rainbow has been purloined by the LBGTQ+ (forgive me if I missed something from this ever expanding acronym) community. The Nazis took a Buddhist symbol of peace and turned it 45 deg, ruining it for the masses.

How did the National Anthem become a time to protest? A song about a flag which symbolizes a nation…

The photo above has me asking so many questions like:
Why do grown men get paid so much to wear tight pants and play with balls while thousands of people watch? That seems like extreme privilege to me. The American dream is indeed a privilege. There are very few places on Earth where a person can escape their class of birth and rise to an elevated status.

During the Vietnam War era, some demonstrators burned American flags as an act of protest. The Flag Protection Act of 1968 was enacted in response, making it illegal to burn or otherwise deface the Stars and Stripes. In two landmark decisions 20 years later, the Supreme Court ruled that the government couldn’t curb individuals’ First Amendment rights by prohibiting desecration of the U.S. flag. Respectful burning of damaged flags according to established protocol has always been acceptable.

History.com

So you can burn it respectfully or out of spite; go ahead, it’s America.

The Flag Code strictly prohibits adding an insignia, drawing or other markings to the Stars and Stripes. So why do we CONSTANTLY do it? Once again, is it just a form of free speech or artistic expression? What’s the point of having laws we don’t enforce?

I believe Black Lives Matter. I believe ALL lives matter. Police, Fire, Military, and every other group- STOP CHANGING THE FLAG! We are ALL represented in the red white a blue. It’s a melting pot of people, cultures, and ideas.

Was the country born in blood? Yes. Show me one that doesn’t have a dark past… keep digging… Oh wait- history will show you that America hasn’t been nearly as FUBAR as many other nations world wide. Humans are crappy to humans; there’s a selfish streak in all of us. The founding fathers were right- ALL men are created equal. But, like everyone else, they didn’t have their lives fully in order. They were screwed up and owned slaves. Things did eventually get sorted out. This isn’t to trivialize the tragedy of slavery; it’s not ok.

Slavery is not happening in the open in America today. It’s still happening, but powerful people are doing an excellent job of hiding it and distracting us. We’re so focused on ourselves and injustices of the past that we can’t work together to forge a better future.

There’s still time to save it; there’s still time to wave it.

Flag day might not mean that much to most Americans but I look long and hard at that piece of embroidered cloth fluttering in the breeze. I think about years serving this country. I consider the sacrifice of my friends whose coffins were covered by the flag.

Could I have a conversation with someone burning the American flag? An honest dialogue? That’s up to them. I’m willing to hear em out. Go on, tell me what’s wrong with this country and I’ll listen. Stick around though; I’ll tell you why this flag still stands for freedom and it’s a story worth hearing.

-Drew OUT!

Drew founded Mental Grenade Jan 2020. He is a follower of Jesus Christ, a medically retired Marine, EOD Tech, husband, father, writer, mountain biker, photographer, facilitator, and fly-fisherman. He seeks to bridge the civilian – military divide and bring hope through honest communication about difficult issues.

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These Veteran stories of struggle, adventure, and post traumatic growth need to be heard!
Join the cause to de-stigmatize mental health issues.
Please SUBSCRIBE, share our website with friends / co-workers, and support us by donation or at the STORE.