Grabbing the Flag

Two posts in a day. Sheesh...

It’ll be hours before I know the outcome of this election, but a recent post of Chad Fox’s got my juices flowing.

I didn’t have it crystallize in my head until I read those words, but it’s something I have long thought.

Read Chad’s post here, and specifically his comment here.

...those "marginalized" groups need to quit being helpless, grab that fucking flag and make it their own. I'm a member of several marginalized groups, actually...and instead of lying down and being a victim, I grabbed that flag because after all, it's an American flag and I'm an American, and made it MINE.

Now, this is no way is meant to minimize inexcusable treatment of any group. Not even a little bit. In fact, I'd say that response - not disowning the nation for it's faults but, rather, grabbing the torch and making it better - is the best type of redress I can think of, at least in the long term.

Yes! Every citizen of every stripe should - claim - that - flag.

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I'm not stupid and I know there have been unworthy things done by us as a nation, and so the flag can be a reminder to those who were abused. However, we've also done some amazing and enlightened things in our 230 year experiment.

We are... imperfect and flawed, to be unbelievably understated about it. But this is just reiterating that that we are human, for very good and for very bad.

But there is still - yes, I actually still believe this - a collective desire to be a great people. And by great, I don't mean all-powerful and abusive - I mean admired, respected, trusted, a home of innovation, liberty, and enlightenment - with strength being used as a sword and shield, not as a hammer.
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So - back to the flag...

It's all of ours, right? Not just a few special superpatriot wannabes, right?

If I didn't love this country, I would have seriously thought about that "move to Canada" crap. (No offense to Canada ;) But I DO love it - so much so that it's worth my fighting for.

My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.

People don't even know the second half of this very important and abused quote. Too bad, since - in it's complete form - it's the most obvious and responsible approach I can think of. Using just the first half of it is the surest way to catastrophe, imo.

People have let one side "steal" the flag and pervert it to mean what they would like it to mean instead of what it was meant to represent and has grown to represent to me: Unity, strength, growth, trials of the body from without, trials of the soul from within, great accomplishments, grave mistakes, anger, division, reconciliation, self-redemption, growth, strength, unity.

Well, that's kinda how I see it.

Others view it as symbolizing "My way or the highway".

I disagree - but again, that's me.

I don't plaster my ass daily with US-Flag-pants, and I don't walk in every single day with a big-ass flag T-shirt. Why? IMO, that just turns a flag into a pointless accessory - or worse, a taunt - instead of the critical symbol of our nationhood.

I tell you, when I personally pull out the flag, at times of ceremony or times of national trials, you will know I don't do it as some asshole-ish "I'm a patriot and you're not!" thing ---

You will know I do it because I mean it.

To me, by displaying that symbol, I demand that we live up to our greatest ideals in spite of our transgressions - that we learn from them and rise above them, always improving, always aiming high.
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With all that, symbols are still just symbols. But they stand for something.

Our flag is a symbol that stands for us.

All of us.

Personal traits, personal faiths, personal walks of life, born here, born abroad, ancestors arrived by choice, ancestors arrived under duress, ancestors here from the beginning - if you have the mantle of citizenship today, that flag is ours – for every one of us.

That flag was used to wrong you? Wave it while making things right.
That flag was used to hurt people? Wear it while you heal others.
That flag was used to stir hate and rage? Use it to bring inspiration and understanding.
That flag was used to repress ideas and ideals? Have it fly while you encourage innovation and worthy purpose.

If right to defend it, if wrong to correct it.

Like Chad said – grab it and make it your own!