I Love Our Flag

June 11, 2010


HARD TO WRITE ABOUT OTHER ISSUES, BUT I MUST, IN SPITE OF MY FEELINGS ABOUT THE DISASTER IN THE GULF WHICH BEGAN THE DAY OF MY 25TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY; APRIL 20, 2010 – A DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY, BEYOND THAT OF SOMEONE WANTING TO MARRY ME!

Flag Day – the day in 1777 that our first flag was authorized as authentically American. A day set aside to reflect upon our most iconic and ubiquitous symbol. Flown daily in front of all government installations, on the campuses of most schools, and in the front yards of homes across America, the ‘Stars and Stripes’ should be understood and its story told.

Like the Liberty Bell, the Star Spangled Banner as anthem, and the Pledge of Allegiance, the history of the flag has been a story of process, change, and evolution. With its varying iterations through the years, the essential characteristics of the blue canton and the stars, combined with the 13 stripes has been the defining colors of The United States Flag. With the addition of new states, the last two being Hawaii and Alaska in 1959, our flag has gone from 13 stars, to 15, to 35, then 48 and finally 50. Along the way the dimensions were established so the proportion of length to width was consistent. In addition, the once grand flag of the battle of Ft. McHenry, the original Star Spangled Banner (with the addition of Old Glory we now have referenced the flag with its 4 most commonly used names), which has been restored is of 15 stripes. This did not work so the original 13 colonies or states became the representative number of 7 red and 6 white or 13 stripes.

I love our flag. Have flown it my whole life as I was taught by my maternal grandfather during the Second World War to raise and fold and present the flag properly at an early age. Now it is my turn to teach the grand kids and flag etiquette is part of passing on a tradition that became incorporated into my life through experience. I do not worship or wrap myself in the flag however. What I worship are the values the flag stands for. I will fight for freedom, liberty, justice – the desecration of these is much more important to me than the desecration of the flag itself; much more!