Take Back the Flag
When did we lose the flag? Our flag represents liberty and freedom–qualities that should make us all proud to be an American. Then why is my suggestion to family and friends to fly the American flag met with scowls and complete horror? Makes no sense. Then you realize that somehow the American flag has become a symbol of supporting the conservative agenda for America. This connection is completely unfair and simply inaccurate. To be conservative, one insists on preserving existing conditions and the absolute minimum amount of change. No matter how you vote, you just can’t say that the American flag is an accurate portrayal of the conservative doctrine. America itself was born from a huge change. The Revolutionary War was declaration that the status quo was unacceptable and the result was new country, with freedom for all. The Constitution and Bill of Rights were progressive ideas and wholly based on a new conditions. A far cry from the conservative mentality.
Those two documents in the 1700s were just a beginning. America has a rich history of change for the better. The original freedoms were not perfect and to this day we correct, advance, and change America. American leaders resisted the existing conditions and insisted on change. They eliminated slavery and brought the right to vote to millions of citizens who were previously denied.
The American flag is a symbol of progress and its right to let it define support for the failed war in Iraq, the stolen liberties of the Bush administration, or any sort of platform that the Republican party will beg you to believe is the best for our country. The American flag must stand for freedom and it must stand for change.
