Dancing around the Flag

by Richard Reeve on October 13, 2008

in Sand Box

The Sand Box

It would be quite a challenge to explain the ambivalence I fell these days toward the Red, White and Blue to my six year old son.  I know to do so would be flat out wrong.  Daily with his class mates he recites the pledge as I too did throughout my schooling.  He just doesn’t need my diatribe on how the actions of our leaders continue to make a mockery out of our nation.  

He does enjoy hearing about the snake on the “don’t tread on me flag” from our revolution.  From there I have learned to steer his interests into designing flags for his play castle.  He has decided to be a knight for Halloween.  My next suggestion will be that he design the flag for his kingdom to carry forth in his upcoming adventure to secure treats throughout the land…

(None the less, as he pursues the fancy of his imagination, I struggle with the fine line that gets straddled between a symbol and a sign.  Our flag should resonate not only with our nostalgia and patriotism.  If it is to function in it’s role, it need to guide actual decision making.  I’m starting to think about how the flag has needed to change as the nation grew, as it acquired more territory.  Is that not a level of consumerism woven into the the very fabric our identity?)

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  • Kate
    Thanks guys! Maybe more people will share their flag identities.
  • BadAsher
    Bravo!
  • ccseed
    wow ~ comments like yours keep me fueled in this space...thank you for the time and energy you put into that response...
  • Kate
    Being from the Western States, and the daughter of a graphic designer, the flag was left open for interpretation beyond what we were taught. Since Oregon wasn't part of the 13 colonies, the blood red, while it seemed very, very sad, didn't seemed connected to me, my family. To me, colonial lore strikes a cord in the way reading strangers names on a war memorial plaque does. I feel sad for the families, revolted at the concept of war and oppression, and honor the historic occasion. Oregon history focused on Lewis & Clark and the Indians. I always felt the native Americans were shafted, so I took the blue of the sky and the field of stars on our flag to represent them and their reverence for Nature. The Western skies are enormous and as the stars on the flag were updated I began to feel included as a citizen of the United States, similarly to how new stars in our universe are discovered and given contemporary names. In net effect, I choose that big blue quadrant of the flag to focus my national identity. Because I haven't found a positive interpretation of the colonial stripes, I choose to see them simply for their gorgeous design purpose. No other flag design looks more beautiful furling in the wind. Therein we come back to the sky and nature and its power and beauty.

    I had flag duty at my elementary school. The triangular folding and unfolding, had a noble significance in my 1970s 10 year old consciousness, with JFK's echo "Ask not what your country can do for you....(you know the rest)" . I hope we can find a positive anthem-type maxim for our kids today. In the meantime, I don't take our flag to represent modern politics, policy, or presidency. I refuse to take the flag to mean what conservatives pin on it. Take the flag, your flag, take liberties with your interpretation of it, find your pride. Don't let conservatives (or even historians) tell you what the flag means to you. Claim your own identity. That's Patriotism.
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