Today is Flag Day in the United States. It marks the anniversary of the Star Spangled
banner in all its glory. With all the
anti-flag sentiment I feel there is a lot that needs to be clarified on the
flag. All my life I looked at the flag
and saw it as the flag of our country and little more. It represented the government and our
democracy. This is the view many people
have and it is only recently that I have come to see how wrong it is. The flag represents freedom and nothing
more. It represents everything our
imperfect union strives to achieve. It
may represent an unachievable goal but it is in the effort to achieve it that
we create a better world for all.
The United States was born out of a simple disagreement on
how to govern people. The colonies
wanted representation and Old Britain would not allow it in its current state
so the colonies rebelled. To be honest,
the colonies probably would have rebelled over anything at that point. George Washington and the state
representatives commissioned a flag e made to represent this new conglomeration
of states. What was created wasn't
pretty but it was original. Thirteen
stars and thirteen stripes are what made up the flag.
Modern day vexologists (study of flags) actually consider it
to be very messy. There is a lot on the
flag these days. It didn't matter at the
time, it represented our new nation and this great experiment of democracy
based on individual liberty and freedom struggling to survive against the most
powerful nation on Earth at the time, Great Britain. This young nation came together and struggled
through two brutal wars for both independence and recognition. During this second war called by Americans as
the War of 1812 the poem called the Star Spangled Banner was written. It spoke of the flag being the only shining
proof that Fort McHenry was withstanding a barrage from by far the most
powerful Navy on Earth. Had Fort McHenry
fallen that night, so would have the port of Baltimore and the ability for these
United States to hamper the Royal Navy would have been crippled. It represented a turning point in the war for
recognition and as such popularized the flag as the symbol of the struggle of
freedom. It is a powerful image. Battered barricades surrounded by enemy forces,
smoke rising above burning buildings, everything at stake and nothing but hope
and the lights of enemy bombardment to sustain someone through the night. Above it all is the flag of our newly minted
country representing everything this new nation stands for; revolution, freedom,
and the guarantee by the first government in history that every person will
never have their own life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness ever taken away involuntarily
by anyone. It also represents a state’s
rights to govern its own people over any higher power. Power should be reserved to be as close to an
individual as it can if not solely in that individual’s hands as long as they
do not impede upon the rights of other individuals or entities.
This image became so popular that it inspired colonies all
over the world to revolt against their own foreign governments. Next time you see an image of flags of the
world take note of how many of them make use of the colors red white and blue. The colors came to mean freedom around the
world. This wasn’t forced upon us by our
government but instead by the rest of the revolting world. If you think the Arab Spring was a huge wave
of democracy, you should look into the first one started by the original
revolution. Next time you look at the
flag do not look at simple stars and stripes.
Look at the colors that make it up.
You might be surprised by how this changes perspective.
What resulted within our country was the first political
atmosphere in the world in which people argue not how economies should be
regulated, who should have power over whom, or who deserves what. Instead we have disagreements on what course
of action or regulation creates the most freedom and liberty. Whether it be freedom from fear, of action,
or from the tyranny of the majority, every political issue is phrased into how
it creates more freedom or liberty at least on one side. This has changed political discourse all over
the world. At one point the Star
Spangled Banner may have simply represented a country. It hasn't been that simple for a very long
time. The second it inspired rebellion against
tyranny all over the world was the second it represented far more than that.
These United States is a nation of peoples that did not
originate here. We are a nation of
immigrants. Even the indigenous peoples
came here at one point in their early history.
The flag represents this unification of human life. It represents the fat that people of
different races, backgrounds, lifestyles, and beliefs can all live together in
harmony. How is it that people from all
over the world can see the colors red, white, and blue all as a symbol of
freedom and liberty simply because they happen to live in the same area. Many people in this country were not born
here even today. What makes them
different than other peoples who simply have not had the chance to live
here? The flag is a symbol for all
peoples who strive and struggle for freedom.
More than that, it simply represents freedom.
The United States Federal government may not always get it
right but that is exactly why the Flag does not represent it. The flag represents and will always represent
the struggle for freedom. It is a sign
that though we may not always get it right, this nation will forever work towards
freedom, equality, and liberty for all people no matter what their race,
ethnicity, beliefs, lifestyles, or origins.
It means that as long as a people or society agree with those very
simple tenants, they have a right to take pride in the flag. It doesn’t matter where someone lives, it is
their flag too. This is the reason why
individuals are willing to die to ensure that it stays flying. This isn’t some metaphor for defending our
country or people. It means they are
defending freedom and liberty everywhere and in an increasingly volatile world
it is in very short supply. This is why
someone can be willing to literally risk and give their life to protect
it. Congress, current policy, and the
rest of the Federal government have absolutely no relevance. It is and always will be about the hope and
struggle for personal liberty and freedom everywhere for all peoples.
We believe all this so much that we gave the flag its own holiday. The government has many holidays. The flag represents something more than our history or government. This is why I still salute the flag. This is why I am willing to die for it. It should have the right to be flown anywhere freedom exists or is needed as a symbol and nothing more or less. The idea of freedom and liberty always deserves the light of day in my humble opinion.
