One of the reasons Diana Reims says she is so passionate about the Tea Party movement:
“They said the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the national anthem."
Ever since 9/11 I've seen the flag co-opted for conservative causes: Let's wipe the Middle East off the face of the earth. (Someone actually said that to me at work.) Support our troops (i.e., keep them in Iraq but remember to say "good job" and "thank you"). Obama isn't a true American. Keep your hands off my healthcare. Let's take back our country.
I say we take our flag back.
The right has effectively used these symbols - the flag, pledge of allegiance, and anthem - to woo followers. This was calculated and smart. People of all "stripes" well up at national symbols. As vivid representations of a nation, they speak directly to the gut. Holding and waving them, singing them, and literally clasping them to the heart all have a cathartic effect. But these days, the only venue available for people needing such vivid displays is the conservative cause.
Why has the left allowed the right to co-opt these important tools? Why haven't we used those same national symbols in service of our goals - the core American principles of inclusion, tolerance, freedom, unity, and compassion? Why don't we wave flags and say the Pledge of Allegiance at our events? Why don't we prominently display the flag on bumpers, campaign offices, and Websites promoting progressive causes? Maybe we brought this on ourselves by burning flags in the sixties and seventies. But I fear we've bought into the opposition's clever repurposing of the flag as a conservative symbol. It isn't, it's our symbol too. Yes, reason and clarity are essential. But some folks respond to more palpable arguments.
Let's stop excluding those people. Let's give those symbols the respect they truly deserve. Let's start waving flags, singing the Star Spangled Banner, and loudly pledging allegiance to our forefathers' notion of one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.