You're a grand old flag,
You're a high flying flag
And forever in peace may you wave.
You're the emblem of
The land I love.
The home of the free and the brave.
Ev'ry heart beats true
'neath the Red, White and Blue,
Where there's never a boast or brag.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
Keep your eye on the grand old flag.
-George M. Cohan
from Britannica:
flag, a piece of cloth, bunting, or similar material displaying the insignia of a sovereign state, a community, an organization, an armed force, an office, or an individual. A flag is usually, but not always, oblong and is attached by one edge to a staff or halyard.
Flags originally were used mainly in warfare, and to some extent they have remained insignia of leadership, serving for the identification of friend or foe and as rallying points. They are now also extensively employed for signaling, for decoration, and for display. Because the usefulness of a flag for purposes of identification depends on its blowing out freely in the wind, the material that is preferred is usually light and bears a device or pattern identical on both sides.
The American Flag has been in the news lately over an allegation that Supreme Court Justice, Samuel Alito was involved with an American flag being flown upside down at his residences. On Independence Day 2024, let us consider any flag as an important emblem of a system of beliefs.
flags carried on January 6 in front of The Capital building
Let’s observe three flags that have caused controversy in recent months.
From left to right, what is your immediate response to seeing each flag?
Left: a sense of Pride, Liberation, and Acceptance
Or
a sense of disgust and retribution?
From Abby VanSickle in the NYT 6/10/24
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.’s wife, Martha-Ann, recently told a woman posing as a conservative supporter that she wanted to fly a Catholic flag at the couple’s Virginia home in response to a Pride flag in her neighborhood.
“You know what I want?” the justice’s wife said to the woman, Lauren Windsor, who secretly recorded the conversation during a black-tie event last week at the Supreme Court. “I want a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag because I have to look across the lagoon at the Pride flag for the next month.”
But Ms. Alito said that after she suggested the Sacred Heart of Jesus flag as a retort to the symbol for L.G.B.T.Q. rights, her husband said, “Oh, please, don’t put up a flag.”
She said that she had agreed, for now, but that she had told him that “when you are free of this nonsense,” “I’m putting it up and I’m going to send them a message every day, maybe every week. I’ll be changing the flags.”
Center: a sense of disrespect and shame
Or
A sense of malice and revolution?
From Associated Press 5/23/24
News of the upside-down American flag sparked an uproar last week, including calls from high-ranking Democrats for Alito to recuse himself from cases related to former President Donald Trump.
Alito and the court declined to respond to requests for comment on how the “Appeal to Heaven” flag came to be flying and what it was intended to express. He previously said the inverted American flag was flown by his wife amid a dispute with neighbors, and he had no part in it.
Right: an historical message of defiance
Or
a symbol of support for Christian Nationalism?
from an article by Jodi Kantor, Aric Toler and Julie Tate in the NYT 5/22/24
Since its creation during the American Revolution, the [Appeal to Heaven] flag has carried a message of defiance: The phrase “appeal to heaven” comes from the 17th-century philosopher John Locke, who wrote of a responsibility to rebel, even use violence, to overthrow unjust rule.
The highest-ranking elected official known to show the [Appeal to Heaven] flag is Representative Mike Johnson, who hung it at his office last fall shortly after becoming speaker of the House.
A flag can be a very strong symbol, and allegiance to it should be given deep consideration.
As we observe the “Grand Old Flag” on this Independence Day, let us remember the United States Flag Code:
The union (the stars) should always be in the upper left corner when displaying the flag horizontally or vertically against a wall or a window. Do not display the flag upside down, except as a distress signal.
When mourning, the flag should be displayed at half-staff. Initially hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to half-staff. When the flag is lowered, it should again be raised to the peak before it is fully lowered.
When displaying the flag on a flagpole, it should be hoisted quickly and lowered ceremoniously. The flag should never touch the ground or any other object beneath it.
When displaying multiple flags on the same flagpole, the flag should always be at the highest point. If multiple flags aren’t displayed on the same flagpole, the flag should be placed in the center and higher than the other flags.
When carrying the flag in a parade or procession, it should be to the right of all other flags or banners.
When displayed at night, the flag should be illuminated. At sunset it should be taken down, unless it is properly lit.
When displaying the flag outdoors and the weather is cold or wet, the flag should be made of weather-resistant material. Do not display the flag during severe weather conditions unless it's an all-weather flag.
When covering a casket with the flag, ensure it is positioned so that the union (the stars) is at the head of the casket and over the left shoulder of the deceased.
When folding the flag, ensure it is folded in a triangular shape with only the blue field and stars visible.
Never use the flag for advertising purposes.
The US Flag Code does not prescribe penalties for violations. However, it is important to respect the guidelines as a sign of patriotism and respect for the country.
In conclusion, the following poem by John Agard addresses issues surrounding flag devotion.
from Flag Speaks by John Agard
full-mast
I am an emblem
of protocol and celebration.
Half-mast
I am the drooping shroud
of mass lamentation.
To you who wave me
from the bonded crowd
what words can a flag offer beyond the fervor
of slogans
that shadow my rainbow?
Yet since a flag also knows how it feels to be thrown
to the fury of flames
(and I shall call no names) on behalf of every flag
I ask of all who wave me to order: am I the mere cloth you brandish
to a marching creed
basking in the vanquished? Or am I a nation’s handkerchief flown
from a flagstaff of justice?
CPW
P.S. As a gift this Independence Day, I offer you a performance of a piece for piano (six hands) entitled Americana by John David Earnest, performed by the White Oak Trio ( C. Patrick Woliver, Robert Bode, and Lee David Thompson). The work ends with an arrangement of "Its a Grand Old Flag."
Thanks!! Happy 4th to you all!!!