This compels me to raise several queries, admittedly not all of them wisely. How important is the image of the flag to the citizen? What happens to the person who had the honour of saluting only one flag in her entire life? Can she save herself from being conformist and patriot or, for that matter, parochial and communal? What future does she hold for herself and the state when saluting, often with passion, the flag she reveres? What about those who have saluted more than one flag in their lifetime? What image do they have of reality? How does it impact upon their daily lives, particularly the utopias they relish and the dystopias they fear? Answers probably are more difficult than the
Do you known what our flag means? Well I do. I have three great words that will tell you what it means to me. First I think of spirit of our country that ever one should have with them as long as they live. Spirit should also show that you are American no matter where you are in the world. Spirit should never leave you even if our country is going through a bad war. Pride is the second word that comes to my mind. Pride means to me that all the soldiers who fight or who are fighting in wars have pride for country so that they can keep ever on safe. Pride should not just be kept in you should let our pride out and show pride for being in freedom. Pride is what also should show that you are a true American anywhere you go in our life. The last
When you see the American flag, what is the first thing that pops into your head? Is it a war? A relative? A political leader? What? For me, I usually think of the Star Spangled Banner. I grew up on a military base in Germany. If the flag were being raised or lowered, you would see soldiers, and even civilians, standing at attention, saluting the flag. In a parade, as the flag was being carried in front by one of the brigades, everyone held his or her hand over his or her heart as the flag passed that person. Even in the theaters, before the movie would start, the Star Spangled Banner would be played while scenes of American flags in battles and peacetime were on the screen and everyone would stand, either at attention or with
Jennifer de Poyen’s article Seeing Stars and Stripes focuses on America’s changing view towards the United States flag following the events of 9/11. de Poyen is a bi-national artist and scriptwriter from Canada with a complicated and evolving opinion towards the American flag. de Poyen discusses her opinion on America’s changing response to the American flag following the events of 9/11. She analyzes the new patriotism associated with the flag and the response of individuals who refused to participate in this newly developed patriotism due to the fear of accidentally alienating foreigners or immigrants. Furthermore, she discusses how Americans were angered by this resistance to respect and revere the flag. Lastly, she states her own attitude
The author mentioned that some citizens are still perturbed by the Confederate flag. While the number is slowly waning, many citizens were a part of the civil rights movement. They watched racist people protest against them using the flag as a symbol of racism, oppression, and hatred. To some, the flag may serve as a permanent reminder that racism is not truly dead in America.
This book's subject concerns the origins, controversies, and inspiring power of some of the world's most famous flags. So far, I’ve learned about legislature surrounding the protesting of the American flag, the creation of the Union Jack, the controversies posed by the European Union and their flag, and many other items encompassing banners around the world.The authors topics are mostly concrete. Many of Tom Marshall’s (author) main points come from historical events. An example of this is when he discusses the controversy of burning the American flag. He uses many supreme court cases and laws to examine the politics surrounding the protesting the stars and stripes, such as “In 1989 the supreme court used the first amendment to interpret why
Dread Scott’s very controversial illustration is titled What is the Proper Way to Display a Flag? What better title to stir the people’s ideas and gain their opinions on the correct way to present symbolistic fabric? a.) Many people believe that the American flag should never touch the ground, as it is a sign of disrespect. However, what many Americans don’t seem to know is there technically no rule on how one must display a flag. b.) This piece addressed, not only very important social issue, but a political one as well. As miniscule as they may seem to all the other problems society is facing, they desperately needed to be addressed for American citizens, specifically, to truly consider which values they hold dear to themselves and their
As an American we can take our freedom for granted sometimes. In “Veterans Day: Never Forget Their Duty” John McCain illustrates “Sitting there, beneath that dim light bulb, a piece of white cloth, a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian” (7). In this quote John McCain reflects on his time in the military. This quote shows how much the American Flag meant to him and his comrades. They would risk getting brutally punished just to make a little flag, so they could do the Pledge of Allegiance every day. This quote relates with a quote from “What
Every day soldiers risk their lives for the American flag. They look up to the flag as something to have faith
The Star - Spangled Banner was written by Francis Scott Key as he watched his fellow Americans stand strong in their darkest hour. For over twenty four hours Fort McHenry was bombarded by British Navy, but the American troops fought, and so did their families. The Americans rallied around the singular flag that stood high in the fort, and a flag that was a target for the British armada. They planned to destroy the flag to disrupt moral, but the Americans refused to let it fall. They used that singular flag as motivation, and motivation that eventually won them the battle. The flag still holds the same purpose today. To remember those who have fought, or are currently fighting in our armies. It also serves as a source of pride, motivation, and patriotism towards our country. Knowing what our flag means to our history and our country, we can’t possibly keep letting our countries source of pride be disrespected by those attempting to promote their own cause. Are nations athletes that choose to display their displeasure with our nation’s current state, and disrespect what our flag means for our country.
Artworks featuring the American flag can have different meanings, for example, Faith Ringgold's God Bless America and Jasper Johns Flag. The painting God Bless America was inspired by the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s it’s an expression of the emotional and physical agony of African Americans, it’s also a comment on bigotry. It shows a woman behind bars, the bars being the red and white stripes of the American flag. The star on the woman's shoulder represents a sheriff's badge. The art is contradictory because it's both patriotic and racist. The painting Flag is more patriotic. It’s made out of an ancient Egyptian painting called encaustic which leaves lumps and smears asking viewers to consider the work of art and to ponder its meaning.
The American Flag is symbol of freedom to those individuals living in the United States. To the soldiers who fight for our freedom, seeing the flag they honor and salute disgraced and disrespected is like a “slap in the face”. Topics discussed throughout this paper are as follows The Star Spangled Banner, American traditions involving the flag, how to fold the flag and what each fold symbolizes, how to properly handle and when/when not to fly the flag as well as, flag burning, a few major case laws about the flag, pending Supreme Court cases regarding the American flag, the reasons for the decisions made, how things have changed over time and some arguments for/against, pros/cons will be discussed so that we all
The flag of the United States has carried the same pride and symbolism for almost two-hundred and thirty years. Millions of American men and women have died to protect what it symbolizes: the freedom and rights of everyone who claims that flag. Moreover, it stands for the people who gave up their lives to defend this country. Yet some disrespectful people still defame that symbol with impunity. In outbursts all over the world, people burn, spit upon, or defile the American flag. This is the same as going to Arlington National Cemetery and spitting on the graves of our war heroes. It is tantamount to telling a soldier's mother that her son who fought to protect
Guns firing, soldiers yelling, we battle fiercely at Fort McHenry. Day breaks, and stars and stripes wave in the air. The American Flag stands for freedom, hope, equality, opportunity, and democracy. The flag represents the American Dream. We may not always realize it, but our flag also represents hope for a brighter and better tomorrow. Standing for the Pledge of Allegiance, my classmates and I don’t always think about what we’re saying or what we’re doing. Sometimes we just don’t recognize what the flag, the pledge, or even America means to people. The thing is, I feel so fortunate to live in a country like the United States; I just don’t know how fortunate I am sometimes. Some people, people who are not as fortunate as I am, dream of coming
When wearing an American flag on my backpack I felt like we were all united and we're proud to be part of America, but this took time because in the beginning everyone was ashamed to be wearing the flag and no one was really proud of being American, but everything changed. For example, before Hitler came into power, Germans were ashamed of being German because they lots the war and the Treaty of Versailles took away most of the money, reduced their army, and took away power so they felt ashamed, but once Hitler came into power all that changed. Germans started to be proud of their country once again. I honestly did care that everything I did was for the improvement of the state because I benefited from it too. When we got to work with others
people who have fought for the American flag and all that it stands for, tend