I lately purchased and commenced to show the American flag at our residence.
I discovered one from an organization that makes its flags right here in the USA however didn’t think about that the usual dimension is likely to be mistaken for our home. When fluttering within the wind by our entrance door, the flag was so outsized it appeared our modest Cape Cod would possibly tip over.
Household and pals arriving at our home appeared bemused to see it, and a few even warily inquired about whether or not I used to be feeling okay. My spouse was additionally involved as a result of I hadn’t mentioned the acquisition along with her, and neighbors would possibly get the mistaken concept about our politics. In flying a regulation American flag and doing it with out my spouse’s information, I had no concept on the time that I’d pulled a Double Reverse-Alito. (Not being ready to refuse bribe-y “items” from billionaire buddies, I can’t declare to have pulled a Triple Reverse-Alito.)
On condition that twice-impeached former president and convicted felon Donald Trump and his MAGA wing of the Republican Get together are working hand in hand with strongmen in Russia, Hungary, and elsewhere to speak down the way forward for the USA and seize everlasting minority energy, I believed it vital for us (you recognize, libtards residing, as we’re wont to do, in Wokestan) to reclaim essentially the most potent image of our democratic republic.
To take action appears important as a result of many gamers on the opposite facet have flipped the American customary the wrong way up, in additional methods than the Alitos and their fellow insurrectionists (together with Justice Clarence Thomas’ spouse, “Ginni”) did in January 2021. They’ve executed the identical with political comity, the thought of statesman-like compromise and our different conventional democratic norms, resulting in this weird, brazenly fascistic period by which we should hearken to a pathologically insecure man-child who admires dictators, scorns the rule of regulation and has a Supreme Court docket standing again and standing by to rewrite the Structure to permit him to develop into a dictator himself. Hey, smiling John Roberts is simply on the market calling balls and strikes as he untethers our democracy.
After two intestine punches — the Supreme Court docket’s confused, open-ended determination on presidential immunity and the media’s incessant concentrate on an terrible debate evening for President Biden reasonably than the greater than 50 lies instructed by Donald Trump — how can I nonetheless fly the American flag when all the things we maintain expensive appears on the verge of tipping over?
In any case, moderates, liberals, and progressives have various ranges of mistrust of any signal of nationalist fervor or performative shows of patriotism. To many people, peaceably assembling to protest, honoring those that serve the nation, advocating for our least lucky residents, subscribing to newspapers to maintain up with the problems dealing with the nation and humanity generally and dealing to develop voting rights are examples of what a patriot does.
The far proper way back absconded with the American flag. And we simply…let it go, which makes about as a lot sense as handing the interpretation of our Structure, devised and written by sensible minds, to the decidedly unintellectual and shamelessly ideological likes of Samuel Alito or Clarence Thomas. (They each discuss following the north star of our “historical past and traditions”? How about ruling non-ideologically and in good religion, which has at all times been the custom for being a choose?)
It’s gone time for reasonable Individuals of all political stripes — the overwhelming majority of us — to band collectively, to not solely decry what the fitting has been doing with the image of our nation whereas supporting an ignorant, hateful man consistently on the take who guarantees to stroll away from our historic allies and put an finish to democracy as we all know it and jail journalists and his political opponents.
Not solely is the flag overly current in business makes use of, but it surely is also mishandled by the fitting, typically grotesquely so.
The Stars and Stripes have usually been used as a logo in protest. The hurt, I’ve at all times thought, was not from that however from the sheer ubiquity of show — the American customary flapping, as a advertising device, usually in absurdly outsized type, day and evening, rain or shine, over big-box shops and used automotive tons — lessening the affect of seeing the flag aloft appropriately above public buildings like faculties, libraries and authorities workplaces, marking them as one thing particular and vital, one thing that belongs to all residents. The flag could also be displayed on the caskets of people that served within the army, the image of the republic honoring the sacrifices, typically the final word, they gave to their fellow residents.
Not solely is the flag overly current in business makes use of, but it surely is also mishandled by the fitting, typically grotesquely so. It’s as if they’re trying in a multifaceted means, as with their steady marketing campaign of disinformation for his or her ongoing tried coup, to discredit its very that means.
It seems black and reveals up on T-shirts, ballcaps and pickup vehicles. It’s emblazoned on underwear and on sure golden sneakers (for a mere $399 and manufactured … the place?). The flag hung the wrong way up outdoors the house of Alito — who as a Supreme Court docket justice is meant to, at minimal, look like non-partisan — as an indication of misery every week after the riot and three days earlier than Joe Biden’s inauguration. He blamed it on his spouse (however who’s guilty for that lame flagpole?). And that different pro-insurrectionist flag on the Alitos’ seaside home. He positioned the onus on his spouse once more.
Seeing the flag flying anyplace and all over the place is dispiriting. I’ve written about how a man in our city parades across the suburban streets in a souped-up golf cart with a full-sized American flag flapping furiously behind — a one-man Trump rally. My thoughts, coronary heart and soul object to all the things about his show of so-called patriotism.
However you may’t blame him for following his vulgar chief’s unhealthy type. Trump practically sexually assaults the American flag at any time when he sees one standing alone — “I don’t even ask, I simply begin kissing.” It’s revolting not solely to witness his performative pawing of the image of our nation to market himself as a “super-patriot” but additionally to contemplate that his supporters take pleasure in that type of oafish show.
Having obtained 5 deferments from army service, Trump greater than earned his nickname “Cadet Bone Spurs,” an acceptable moniker laid on him by somebody who sacrificed a lot in service to her nation. Later in life, Trump went on to additional discredit himself, each as a twice-impeached president and as a commander-in-chief who frequently denigrated those that had served and threatened our NATO companions. Keep in mind when he accepted a Purple Coronary heart from an precise veteran? Some other politician doing that will have needed to discover one thing else, outdoors of public service, to do for a residing.
For heaven’s sake, the man couldn’t settle for that he misplaced the final election and was such a child about it he left Washington reasonably than attend the inauguration of the brand new president.
One can think about flag pins Donald Trump ought to be carrying on the lapel of his poorly becoming fits — the Russian, the Hungarian, and the Accomplice battle flags come to thoughts — however our flag is, with out query, not certainly one of them. Trump incessantly claims that with out him in cost, the USA can be a wreck, a failed nation, an apocalyptic catastrophe. Nobody in historical past has psychologically projected extra about his personal plans or has demeaned the presidency, and the nation within the eyes of our allies, as a lot as Donald John Trump. And that’s solely partly why American historians rank Trump the worst of all presidents.
Talking of which, the following time you see Trump sporting his “45” cap (or his wishful “45-47” model), keep in mind, that’s his historic rating. Useless final. Trump likes to say that Biden is the worst president in historical past (as he did on the first debate) for a similar cause he’s pushed to incoherently burble about “the Biden crime household.” He’s at all times the schoolboy with the dopey “I-know-what-you-are-but-what-am-I?” retort.
The American flag should get a restraining order in opposition to Trump.
The foundations about displaying the flag state that it shouldn’t be used as clothes or in promoting in any means, however apparently we have to add that the American flag should not be groped or used for self-aggrandizement. With regards to Trump, the Pink, White and Blue should get a restraining order.
And lots of on the fitting, given their out-in-the-open allegiance to different nations like Russia and Hungary merely have been misusing and even abusing the flag for years. Police have been overwhelmed and stabbed with American flags throughout the riot on the Capitol, the place different “patriots” carried their most popular flags, most for Trump or the Confederacy, which, as everybody is aware of by now, is basically the identical factor. Debasing the nationwide customary goes hand in hand with how Republicans have vilified authorities service for many years. Like so many issues they are saying they care most about — household values, the rule of regulation, freedom from authorities interference in personal life, loving one’s nation — it’s all been one lengthy con.
Clearly, none of meaning something to them now. As Salon’s Amanda Marcotte wrote about assaults by the fitting on Dolly Parton, “Beneath the management of Donald “Make America Nice Once more” Trump, Republicans have grown to detest most all the things they used to carry in excessive regard.” How are you going to name your self a patriot once you scorn Dolly, fanboy the Russian president and cheer as your chief calls the USA a failed nation? It’s in conserving, although, with the fitting’s model of gaslighting and fearmongering the general public 24/7. That they’d ultimately go after an American icon like Parton is now not shocking. It’s typical projection when bogus Christians, corresponding to they, declare she is delivering a false gospel. Marcotte notes that it’s also typical cult conduct for MAGA to invoke non secular language to separate folks from the pull of the bigger tradition. That’s what cults do.
Experience, journalism, the rule of regulation, the precise teachings of Jesus, the American flag because it was designed — all the things that represents a menace to the authoritarian motion, to a slavish devotion to the red-capped Expensive Chief now raving with much less coherence and with extra guarantees of violence ought to he win, needs to be derided or twisted within the minds of his supporters. Trump’s MAGA followers should be pulled additional and additional out of the mainstream tradition in order that they is likely to be keen to do unthinkable issues.
That first flag, too massive for our modest home, we folded within the prescribed method and took to our native elementary faculty, the place we had way back volunteered and the place my spouse had labored. The principal was happy with the donation and gave us a pleasant tour of the place we hadn’t seen since our daughters had attended.
Once you see Trump sporting his ‘45’ cap, keep in mind, that’s his rating.
I plan to fly our new flag in good climate on federal and state holidays and convey it in at sunset. The foundations say it’s positive to fly it always whether it is lighted at evening and is an all-weather flag throughout unhealthy climate, however I wish to be extra conscious about it, to offer it extra that means in my very own life. As ubiquity robs efficiency from a logo, comfort strips that means from our actions.
As many famous, the distinction between what President Biden needed to say in France on the eightieth anniversary of D-Day and the day by day self-involved, usually incoherent bluster and whining of Trump couldn’t be extra stark.
Sure, Biden’s efficiency on the first debate was not robust. He spoke too shortly and typically misplaced monitor of the purpose of his argument. He tried to each say what he got here to say and fact-check the firehose of lies being spewed by Trump. He appeared each over-prepared and below the climate. The extra vibrant candidate on the stage was the smug lifelong felony who cheerfully lied his means via your complete night and refused to reply many key questions. Biden was completely on the mark when he stated to Trump, “You’ve the morals of an alley-cat.”
However he might have rightly began each certainly one of his responses with some variation of “That’s absolute nonsense.” And he might have refused to normalize Trump by partaking in silly golf banter. (Or he might have simply remarked, “Oh, the sport that depends on private honor? I learn you cheat even at that.”) There have been so many different issues he might have stated concerning the twice-impeached, felonious con man who incited a lethal riot on the Capitol, skipped out on the inauguration, and flew off to lick his wounds, comforted by field after field of categorized authorities paperwork.
Nonetheless, as a pal of mine stated, learn the transcript. One of many two males is trustworthy, an skilled chief who cares about all Individuals. As MSNBC’s Rev. Al Sharpton put it, “I’m very involved that on a few events within the debate Joe Biden couldn’t end his sentence, however I’m extra involved concerning the sentences Donald Trump did end.”
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For what it’s price, the following day Biden was once more filled with vitality and combat, fairly not like the editorial board of The New York Occasions, which could have taken a day or two to suppose it over earlier than quailing. As he does so usually, MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell introduced insightful perspective to the controversy and the historic context. Biden polls nicely in opposition to Trump and so does Kamala Harris. So, what are we speaking about? Even when you suppose Biden is declining mentally and bodily, so is Trump, who can be not solely criminally minded however has a justified worry of Alzheimer’s.
It is a battle over that means and your day-to-day rights, a transparent alternative between a fairly forward-thinking political occasion and one which ran out of concepts and naturally refused to attraction to extra Individuals. The Republican Get together devolved right into a cult of persona as a result of they gave up on doing the onerous work of governing. The previous Get together of Lincoln appeals to not the “higher angels of our nature” however the reverse.
In his first inaugural handle, President Lincoln famously stated, “We aren’t enemies, however pals. We should not be enemies. Although ardour might have strained it should not break our bonds of affection.” Right this moment’s MAGA leaders insist that their political opposition is the enemy, even utilizing language to demonize and dehumanize these of us who nonetheless consider within the American experiment. They merely don’t have anything left to supply besides hate.
We should take again the symbols and unfold the phrase. As poet Langston Hughes wrote in “Let America Be America Once more,” even in its failings, America has promise price preventing to construct upon:
O, sure,
I say it plain,
America by no means was America to me,
And but I swear this oath—
America will likely be!
Completely satisfied Independence Day, to the overwhelming majority of us who really feel a robust allegiance to the rule of regulation(and a Supreme Court docket not within the tank for one, objectively traitorous, candidate, a lot in order to easy the way in which to dictatorship); to the separation of church and state; to folks with experience in science and public service; to public faculty academics, native librarians, overworked nurses, hustling union organizers and a wildly underappreciated president overseeing a robust economic system and forging renewed energy in our democratic republic and deeper relations with our historic allies. To all those that consider within the Structure as a residing doc and to good religion collegiality in politics — within the very face of a Supreme Court docket pushing us towards a theocracy by which the likes of Leonard Leo and Lauren Boebert would decide our destiny — it’s time to take again the American customary.
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from Kirk Swearingen