Do Republicans own the American Flag?

[Cyrano]

Yesterday, a car with two American flags on its fenders sped past me and cut me off. It must have been General Patton on his way to an important battle. (I don't know whether the guy glued or nailed those flags in place.)

Many WWII vets fly a flag from their car because they're living in a different era. But all too many people fly one or two flags from their cars because they feel they've got to wear their patriotism on their sleeves.

The whole partisan flag thing started during the Viet Nam War when Nixon and his gang of hoodlums began wearing American flag lapel pins. If you wore a pin, you were for the war. If you didn't, you were probably some kind of "northeastern, liberal, establishment, elite, wine-sipping, commie bastard." (That's why many flags were burned during the Viet Nam era.)

Pretty soon, police departments adapted flag patches as part of their uniforms. We're they worried we were going to mistake them for Hungarian cops?

George W. and his Republican mob brought back the flag lapel pin. And many Dem politicians now wear them so as not to be "out-patriotized."

If only these people cared more about the Constitution than the piece of cloth that symbolizes it.

Every time I see Bush making a speech in front of a row of American flags, two thoughts come to mind. The first is sale day at a car dealership. The second is far more ominous. Nuremberg.

[wtmusic]

1. Nuremburg is a welcome thought

after the war, that is

[Cyrano]

3. Yes, we're being ruled by war criminals.

Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rove, Condi, not to mention our new Attorney General, Roberto Gonzales, and so many more.

The chance of these people ever being brought to trial is almost non-existent. But the most disgraceful part is that about half the people in this country don't even know that war criminals (not to mention thieves, liars, and human garbage) are running our government.

[beyurslf]

2. Yes, they do own the flag. They also bought the rights to the Constitution

so before you reprint any of it, you need their copyright permission. Any changes they may have made to the Constitution are permanent and you would just get over it if you were a real American and loved your country.


<sarcasm off>

[Montauk6]

4. Not until they show us the receipt!

[Cyrano]

5. To paraphrase a great movie line: "We don't need no stinking receipt."

It's from "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre." A Mexican bandit, Alfonso Bedoya, tells Humphrey Bogart that he and his men are Federalies. Bogart says, "Let's see you're badges."

Bedoya responds, "Badges? Badges? We don't have no badges. We don't have to show you no stinking badges."

Kinda sounds like Bush/Delay et al.

[Cyrano]

6. An interesting aside to my original posting.

In the weeks following 9/11, some incredible asshole in a full-sized pickup truck, drove around with a giant American flag fluttering from the truck bed, right alongside a confederate flag of the same size.

Who knows what was going on in this idiot's head. But I do remember my first reaction which was, "With any luck, someone will shoot this stupid redneck asshole."

What made this imbecile think that his Confederate flag had anything to do with 9/11 is beyond me. Further, I live in a fairly progressive part of south Florida and I have no idea what made him think that people wouldn't take offense at the racist piece of shit he was so-proudly displaying.

Soon afterward, the Confederate flag was gone, but the giant American flag is still planted firmly in the back of his pickup. Jeeeez, it's great to know their are so many "real" Americans around.

[Catrina]

7. Dems and others who oppose Bush policies

do have a problem when it comes to the flag. To wear it or use it as a symbol, means supporting Bush policies.

Meantime they thrash what it symbolizes. I read a statement by someone which made sense to me, 'better to burn the flag and wrap yourself in the Constitution, than burn the Constitution and wrap yourself in the flag'.

All oaths of office and Military oaths, swear to defend the Constitution.

For anyone who wants to show their respect for their country but can't bear to use what has now become a symbol of support for the Bush administration, they can top them by wearing a Constitution lapel pin ~ www.pinsforpatriots.com. It was designed for this very reason and I think, tops the flag any day.

It's hard to top these propagandists, they have put millions of dollars into cornering those who disagree with them. It's time for Dems to have their own patriotic symbolism, imo, rather than try to take back what they have defiled.

[Steel City Slim]

9. No, I Don't Think So

The conservatives may want that association, that the flag means support for their policies, but we do not have to give it to them. Start wearing a flag, flying a flag, put flag decals on you car, and when some conservative come up and starts talking his simple shit like you're a buddy, lay it on him. That ought to start messing with some minds.

[Bozita]

11. That's good!

Welcome to DU, Catrina.

[Steel City Slim]

8. I Have A Couple Of Flag Decals On My Car

I read an article last year, it might have been on alternet.org, or In These Times or some place like that where the writer lamented that liberals have allowed conservatives to hijack patriotism. He traced it to the Vietnam period, and pointed out that liberals are at least as patriotic (true patriotism) as conservatives, if not more so. I agreed with the article and got some flag decals.

[Bozita]

10. Bush the Elder won the last flag battle in '88

Dukakis wore a funny headgear and let an escaped rapist kill his wife.

Bush the Elder, on the other hand, repeatedly posed for photo-ops in flag factories.

It really wasn't much of a battle.

[Catrina]

12. Thank you Bozita :-)

I've been lurking since the debates, when a DUer posted some links on the Alternet forums, where I was a moderator, until they closed the forums abruptly a couple of months ago. They are now located at a different site ~

I was very happy to discover DU at that time, and super impressed with the work people here have been doing to save this country ~ you are an incredible community, the best on the web, imo, as far as taking action.

I do agree that we should not abandon using the flag, and should be in-your-face with those who attempt to appropriate it.

But we always seem to be reacting to the rightwing, even wearing the flag now, seems like an act of defiance, which it should not. Abandoning the word 'liberal' is also a mistake, imo.

I wish we were more pro-active, and it was as a result of much conversation about this very subject, on other forums, that the idea of the Constitution pin arose ~ this is OURS, and if they want to wear it, the message is, 'protect it then' and stop supporting those who are tearing it apart.

To be honest I was surprised they had not already done it themselves, but then, why would they, the Constitution is an impediment to their goals for this country.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. No, they don't own that flag. *We* own it. And they can't fucking have it.

You just hit a real hot button with me.

I volunteered to serve when their fuckwad cheerleader in chief, Georgie Boy, was looking for ways to fly liddle planes over Tejas' plains. He's not fit to kiss my gnarly ol' ass.

It pisses me off when they do this. And has anyone noticed the size of the flag pin he and the rest of his gang of motherfuckers wears? It gets bigger and bigger. Pretty soon it'll be so big it will pull his lazy spine over and make his head fall to the ground. The day that happens should be a national holiday.

HOW DARE THEY???? HOW FUCKING DARE THEY?!?!?!?!?!

I have a flag on **my** car too. Not to wear my patriotism. I have no need for that. But for self defense. That flag's mine. Along with it are all my 'liberal' bumper stickers. C'mon, motherfuckers. Try to take that flag from me. I FUCKING DARE YOU!

Do you hear me, George Bush? Do you? Kiss My Ass, George Bush. You Fucking AWOL Cretin. You Sorry, Lowlife Deserter Motherfucker.

As for flags .... how about this one? Its kinda little.

C'mon George ... Dick .... Wolfie ...... how 'bout you, Rush .... Karl ..... you guys wanna take this flag? This flag left by a family still grieving all these decades later?

Don't.
You.
Dare.

But tell ya what, fellas ... Let's play cards. Here's a deck we can use .......



<edited to add images and additional commentary now that I've calmed down>

[Cyrano]

16. Husb2Sparkly

It's my flag too. And if I remember correctly, I took the same oath you did "...to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Today, our foreign enemies are less of a worry than our domestic ones. My problem is that, I'm one of those people who believe our votes don't count. (Yes, I believe they fucked us out of the 2004 election.)

So aside from "just try to rip my bumper sticker off my car," what do you suggest that you, I, and everyone else should do stop these thugs from destroying our country?

[Stinky The Clown]

21. And an excellent question that is!

And thanks for serving, friend! :hi:

What do I suggest we do? I'm just one schmo in a nation of schmoes. In the last election my wife and I did what we could. Letter writing campaigns to the primary states. Donations as we were able (did that more than once ... in the primaries and in the general election campaign season).

But what I do as an individual is speak to people. One person at a time. I'm not shy to speak up. Neither am I a loon. I'm just an average person who speaks to other average people .... and usually gets a fair hearing, even when no minds get changed. But I'd like to think I made a vote or three's difference last time and intend to do it this time. I've even broken the golden rule of business about not discussing politics or religion in meetings. I just can't seem to help myself with the political stuff. :)

For the larger issues ...... I'm not shy about speaking strategically to those either. But my opinion is worth exactly what you just paid me for it ... nuttin'. I stay in contact with my congressional delegation when I have something I wanna say.

This year we plan to get involved in local politics. Feet on the ground stuff.

If there's more we can do, I'd love to know what it is.

Now .... about that flag stuff ......

I think Kerry had the right idea with wearing his service on his sleeve. As I said ... it was the right idea. But the execution ..... not so good.

Whoever wrote the "reporting for duty" line shoulda bin fired. At the time, it seemed okay. Cheering and all. Lotsa hoopla. But over the long haul ... yer basic albatross. Sunk by the swift as shitters.

I'd much rather see it be more mid level and grass roots. People like you and me ... who earned the right to address it personally and directly ..... to take hands with those who didn't serve and say that, collectively, it is ***OUR*** flag. It isn't some shitty jingoistic bauble to wear on a suit. It stands for freedom ... at **HOME**. It stands for the common welfare .... of **OUR OWN** people. In short, take the military veterans who are on our side ... and we're legions strong ..... and allow *US* to demilitarize the flag. It is so much more than cloth to be captured and placed on a hill. That's the message we need to get out there. We served under the flag far more for the common good than for militaristic victory.

I thought one of the best moments in the campaign was when Wesley Clark and John Kerry stood together on a stage. Here we had Clark, who went to Vietnam and came back with a story much like Kerry's and pretty much as compelling and who decided to make it a career standing next to man who served at the same time and who chose to throw away his medals and protest the war. To see them standing together, now in full agreement was touching. To see George McGovern, who in WWII strapped a bomber to his ass and flew missions that were routinely taking 30% ... 40% ... and higher casualties, another real hero ... and a vocal supporter of the antiwar movement ... a hero to the antiwar left .... to see him endorsing a general (as he did with Clark) shows again the weight of that flag. It is ours. All of us. No one party owns it. No one point of view owns it. Had all this been spotlighted instead of cheesy photo ops, we would allow folks to see that its our flag, too. Maybe more than theirs.

So it is our job ... yours and mine ... to get that message out there .... for the good of our party ..... our country ..... and knowing this bunch of criminals, the world.

Big job .......

<edit fer grammer .... cuz I'm dumb>

[proud2BlibKansan]

17. Wow

Love those cards. LOL

[Zinfandel]

14. Yes! When one wears a flag on ones lapel, it means they love America

more than anyone else!


(And that gives the flag lapel wearer and only the flag lape wearer the right to exploit America for as much personal profit as they can possible get...it is written.)

[Hosnon]

15. Didn't you get the memo? They stole it along with a few elections. eom

[mwb970]

18. From "The 14 Defining Characteristics Of Fascism"...

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

http://www.rense.com/general37/fascism.htm

[leftofthedial]

19. yes, they own the flag

and everything else

[SalmonChantedEvening]

20. In early 2002

I was heading home from an errand, and as I pulled out of the lot I saw a clip on flag that had fallen off someone's car in the middle of the road. I stopped and quickly gathered it up before any harm could come to it. It still rests safely in my car laid across the back seat like a treasured passenger, safe and sound.

It's not any group's flag, nor any party's flag. It belongs to us all, no matter how many times the Right tries to stake it out as their own.


:patriot: