NY Times Op Ed Writer disturbed by sight of American flags

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I came to the conclusion years ago that a flag is only a piece of cloth. It represents many things. It can be a team flag, a state flat, a plain attention getting multicolored flag at car lot, shopping mall, it can be a country flag.......but it is still just a piece of cloth. if you are some where and a flag is being used to make a point at a demonstration and you dont like that then I suggest you leave the area... and no dont get me wrong I hate when people use the american flag in some degrading manner but I served in the military to preserve our way of life and free speech no matter what I may think was part of that service!!
 
cdestroyer said:
I came to the conclusion years ago that a flag is only a piece of cloth. It represents many things. It can be a team flag, a state flat, a plain attention getting multicolored flag at car lot, shopping mall, it can be a country flag.......but it is still just a piece of cloth. if you are some where and a flag is being used to make a point at a demonstration and you dont like that then I suggest you leave the area... and no dont get me wrong I hate when people use the american flag in some degrading manner but I served in the military to preserve our way of life and free speech no matter what I may think was part of that service!!
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In principal you are right, but you also have the right to express your point by bopping them in the face; discreetly of course.
 

Here's another good one: Psychoanalyst Donald Moss publishes a "scientific" paper about the damaging effects of "whiteness":

"Donald Moss will discuss whiteness as a condition one first acquires and then one has--a malignant, parasitic-like condition to which “white” people have a particular susceptibility. He describes the condition as being foundational, generating characteristic ways of being in one’s body, in one’s mind, and in one’s world: Parasitic whiteness renders its hosts’ appetites voracious, insatiable, and perverse; these deformed appetites particularly target non-white people; and, once established, these appetites are nearly impossible to eliminate"

If you're a shrink, you can get continuing education credit for listening to this insanity.

https://www.cmps.edu/on-having-whiteness
 
I feel as though the American flag has been highjacked by the far right and has come to represent intolerance, bigotry, lawlessness, ignorance and willful stupidity. They are the "true" patriots. I noticed that at least one of the insurrectionists on 1/6 carried a flag in support of police officers even as law enforcement were being attacked at the Capitol and let's not forget the swastika being carried there as well. I live and have always lived in a mostly conservative Republican area and the only ones flying the American flag seem to be those on the right. Those on the left and, I think the more moderate right perhaps, don't want to be associated with with their values or their symbols and sadly one of those symbols is now the Stars and Stripes. The American flag no longer stands for what this country was founded on and strives to work toward. When I see an American flag being flown from a rusted out pickup truck or next to a Donald Trump sign my stomach churns. Crazy? The far right has brought us to this point by their actions.
 
This thread has reminded me to check with the HOA to see if there are any limits on displaying the American Flag. I have a 4' x 6' flag that was flown over our nation's capitol building, and I like to put it out for most holidays.
 
Martha Ferris said:
I feel as though the American flag has been highjacked by the far right and has come to represent intolerance, bigotry, lawlessness, ignorance and willful stupidity. They are the "true" patriots. I noticed that at least one of the insurrectionists on 1/6 carried a flag in support of police officers even as law enforcement were being attacked at the Capitol and let's not forget the swastika being carried there as well. I live and have always lived in a mostly conservative Republican area and the only ones flying the American flag seem to be those on the right. Those on the left and, I think the more moderate right perhaps, don't want to be associated with with their values or their symbols and sadly one of those symbols is now the Stars and Stripes. The American flag no longer stands for what this country was founded on and strives to work toward. When I see an American flag being flown from a rusted out pickup truck or next to a Donald Trump sign my stomach churns. Crazy? The far right has brought us to this point by their actions.
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May I kindly suggest you lose the politics. This forum isn't the place for it.
 
No, I think the American Flag is a lot more than a piece of cloth. It represents our nation and the values and freedoms the soldiers have fought and even died to uphold.
About a year ago, I watched on the news, a mob in Portland Oregon, forced three uniformed police officers to kneel before them as they threw an American flag in front of them and told them to spit on it. The officers got on their knees and spit on the flag in submission.
I gasped and cried when I saw that!
No matter what your politics, please give a proudness to our American Flag as we are united as one nation under God.
 
There are people with real problems and struggles. I can't imagine writing an article over flags. We have way more important issues. It also mentioned the bumper stickers. Whatever your political leaning, I can ignore bumper stickers that aren't the same as my own beliefs. I have other stuff to worry about.
 
Martha Ferris said:
I feel as though the American flag has been highjacked by the far right and has come to represent intolerance, bigotry, lawlessness, ignorance and willful stupidity. They are the "true" patriots. I noticed that at least one of the insurrectionists on 1/6 carried a flag in support of police officers even as law enforcement were being attacked at the Capitol and let's not forget the swastika being carried there as well. I live and have always lived in a mostly conservative Republican area and the only ones flying the American flag seem to be those on the right. Those on the left and, I think the more moderate right perhaps, don't want to be associated with with their values or their symbols and sadly one of those symbols is now the Stars and Stripes. The American flag no longer stands for what this country was founded on and strives to work toward. When I see an American flag being flown from a rusted out pickup truck or next to a Donald Trump sign my stomach churns. Crazy? The far right has brought us to this point by their actions.
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If the "far right" has made your stomach churn when you see an American flag, I suggest Maalox. Moving to the Upper West Side of Manhattan or to any good-sized college town might help as well.
 
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Martha Ferris said:
I feel as though the American flag has been highjacked by the far right and has come to represent intolerance, bigotry, lawlessness, ignorance and willful stupidity. They are the "true" patriots. I noticed that at least one of the insurrectionists on 1/6 carried a flag in support of police officers even as law enforcement were being attacked at the Capitol and let's not forget the swastika being carried there as well. I live and have always lived in a mostly conservative Republican area and the only ones flying the American flag seem to be those on the right. Those on the left and, I think the more moderate right perhaps, don't want to be associated with with their values or their symbols and sadly one of those symbols is now the Stars and Stripes. The American flag no longer stands for what this country was founded on and strives to work toward. When I see an American flag being flown from a rusted out pickup truck or next to a Donald Trump sign my stomach churns. Crazy? The far right has brought us to this point by their actions.
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Please don't hold back, tell us how you really feel.
 
With you Gaer on your thoughts on the flag. My dad and all of his brothers served proudly in the service and flew the flag every day when they got home. I still get chills when I hear "taps" as I think of his military funeral and how he loved this Country.
 
JimBob1952 said:
Totally respect that. Your thoughts and comments elsewhere are excellent btw.
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Agree with you JimBob!
I remember in the "hippies" decade, kids would sew vests out of American flags and everyone thought it was "cool"!
But, Now, in pre- WW!111, IMO, We should come together as Americans and take pride in our symbol of freedom and Democracy!
 
I would just like to know what I did that makes people of color hate me? I keep thinking back and I can't remember any one time that I disrespected anyone of any color and believe me, I took a lot of crap over the years.
 
cdestroyer said:
I have a lot more thought on this entire subject....and that is where I am gonna keep it!
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CD: I have a great respect for you and for your opinions. Please don't think, because I disagree with you in this, that i don't like your other opinions. I look forward to reading your posts!
 
I was born into a generation of kids whose fathers fought and died for that flag and what it meant. As such, we said the pledge of allegiance every morning in grade school and gained our own respect for the flag. This country exists because of people who fought for the ideals that flag represents. It can be torn apart by people who, for whatever reason, don't believe in or hate those ideals.
 
Wrapping yourself in pseudo patriotism is a tried and true political tactic. Both sides do it routinely. Every politician has a flag somewhere in their ads. You have to sever the hopes of what the American flag can stand for, from the sinister uses some wrap themselves up in it. It is not that piece of cloth, which has meaning; it's the ideals and hopes represented by it. Maybe, instead of red, white and blue, we think of "All men are created equal", and try to live by it.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Wrapping yourself in pseudo patriotism is a tired and true political tactic. Both sides do it routinely. Every politician has a flag somewhere in their ads. You have to sever the hopes of what the American flag can stand for, from the sinister uses some wrap themselves up in it. It is not that piece of cloth, which has meaning; it's the ideals and hopes represented by it. Maybe, instead of red, white and blue, we think of "All men are created equal", and try to live by it.
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Perhaps you could explain "pseudo patriotism" and tell us how you spot and diagnose it as such.
 
I didn't post the original article to start a discussion about the flag. I'm just worried that a lot of people are going sort of crazy, especially on the subject of race.

I recently saw a comment to this effect: "Black studies celebrates blackness, Chicano studies celebrates Chicanos, women's studies celebrates women, and white studies attacks white people as evil."

Maybe it's payback, I don't know.
 

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