Johnny Cash's Ragged Old Flag

When songwriters begin to pen the lyrics of a song, I believe their ultimate goal is to transcend time in hopes of reaching listeners for generations to come. J.R. Cash, professionally known as Johnny Cash, wrote a song that did just that. “Ragged Old Flag” is a patriotic song that speaks to every generation. Written in 1974, “Ragged Old Flag” was meant to tell the story of our country. Johnny Cash recorded “Ragged Old Flag” live at the House of Cash. Cash wanted the song to be recorded live because it was raw, untouched, and unapologetically real. The basis of this analysis is to show how patriotism spans generations, but also why a song such as, “Ragged Old Flag” is an important part of patriotism in the United States of America.

Within the United States of America, arguments, involving the Confederate Flag, are solved every sngle day. However, some controversies have managed to carry on from the 1800’s until present day without any solution. The text and symbolic meaning behind the “Confederate Flag” is a perfect example. The Confederate Flag is one of America’s most embattled symbolic controversies. Created in 1861in a battle between the South, Confederates, and the North, Union, two men by the name P.G.T. Beauregard and Congressman William P. Miles designed and created a flag that would represent the true southern pride and demands that would not only bring about conflict with one half of the nation but also with our American society today.

In the essay “Of thee they sing with feeling”, Garrison Keillor details his opinion on the United States’ National Anthem and the unity it brings Americans when they join together in song. After reading his essay, a greater appreciation for the indescribable feeling it gives those who sing it was more thoroughly developed. Although our society is constantly changing, the National Anthem is a timeless patriotic piece that will be cherished by many generations to come.

The Confederate Battle flag is one of the most recognized symbols in the United States. It is not always a welcome symbol in today’s society. Take for instance the state of South Carolina having to remove it from its statehouse on April 12, 2000. The reason it is not always welcome is because people often misinterpret its true meaning. It is not a symbol of hatred but, a symbol of southern pride and honor. The pride and honor of all the men and women who carried it the flag into battle fighting for what they believed in, Southern independence.

As Winston Churchill stated, “The flags of the Confederate States of America were very important and a matter of great pride to those citizens living in the confederacy. They are also a matter of great pride for their descendants as part of their heritage and history,” but in present day, the American people are claiming the meaning of the confederate flag is hate and discrimination. In South Carolina, the confederate flag was taken down and placed in a museum after a heated debate stemming from a mass shooting of nine black churchgoers in a historical Charleston church during bible study. The shooter, Dylann Roof, was a white supremacist. A photograph of Roof emerged showing him holding a confederate flag which fueled the political flag debate. The confederate flag is at the center of the controversy over racism. Although, it was first created as an official flag of confederacy, the confederate flag has changed into what is now either a symbol of Southern heritage and pride or slavery and racism by Americans. It is time to put this flag in a museum to be honored by those it means something to and no longer stand as a reminder of the division our country once suffered, so we can move on as a nation, united.

Texas is unlike other states in that is so full of history that has, to this day, continued to form our cultures, views, and laws. It is important to recognize the countries that have played a role in creating the great State of Texas, and we do so by flying the six flags of the countries/republics that have, at one point or another in history, laid claim to this land. These six flags are: the Spanish flag, the French Flag, the Mexican flag, the flag of the Republic of Texas, the flag of the Confederate States of America, and lastly the flag that currently flies over Texas, the flag of the United States. Together these six different flags created a unique state that has taken all of the strong characteristics of each country, and incorporated

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

The first time the Confederate flag was flown in South Carolina was to mark the centennial of the civil war. In addition to that memorial moment, it also coincided with a slew of Jim Crow laws being overturned. While some considered the raising of that flag to be significant to the history of that state, there is sound reasoning to believe that the raising of that flag would be a reminder to minorities that the white race is dominant.

The article that I chose to use for this assignment is “Why a Virginia principal refuses to take down her school’s Confederate flags” (Holley 2015). This article was published in the Washington Post and written by Peter Holley. Mr. Holley graduated from Columbia University with a masters in journalism. Prior to joining the Washington Post he was an associate editor at Houstonia Magazine. Mr. Holley has also worked as a reporter for the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express. While at the San Antonio Express he worked as a crime reporter, which is a job that would require attention to detail. In this article Mr. Holley uses statistics to show how divided people are when it comes to the Confederate flag and he

He said “ let my land be a land where liberty is covered with no false patriotic wreath. ” In this qoute hes saying that the land of america or any other land should be everyone 's land. Everyone should have the same privilege, equality is one bing role of being an american. He also talk about how people don 't really care about being patriotic, meaning people don 't care about the culture of america or not respecting the nationality of their land. I agree with Langston Hughes because everyone wants liberty,freedom but they are just “Americans” because they live here and pretending they care for the nationally of America. The idea of being patriotic to your country means a lot to many people because it means that you actually care for your country. As Susan Noyes said in her poem “Patriot Dreams” , she said “ flags were flown and pledges spoken .” Susan is saying that people were proud of their country and would actually care to sing the national anthem back then. Now and days many people don’t even know the song or what it means to be a TRUE AMERICAN. Teenagers these days don’t even get up to do the pledge of allegiance because they don 't know the meaning of it or why do they need to that. When it comes to the topic of patriotic, most of us will readily agree that is has not been the same as years go by. Where this agreement ends,however,is on the question of the americans.whereas some are convinced that

Grey uniforms, so often pierced with bullets from the other side, were proudly donned by the men of this nation from 1861 until 1865. These men fought tirelessly and honorably for their beliefs, and throughout each battle, carried the battle flag of the Confederacy. Throughout the Civil War, this flag took six different forms, for design flaws led to confusion on the battlefield. Each soldier, standing tall, did not fight for a flag, but under it. As an emblem of courage and honor, and a representation of their way of life, the “Rebel Flag” still stands as a symbol of pride in the southern United States. South Carolina’s contest of whether or not to permanently lower the flag flying over state grounds has aroused the question of the true meaning of the “Navy Jack” banner. American history has lent endless resources to the discovery of this meaning. The causes of the war, the history of the Confederate Flag’s origin, the truth about racism and slavery, and the disproving of supposed offensiveness of a piece of cloth all play an integral role in the argument opposing the flag’s removal.

Just like teaching any other topic in the Twenty-First century, the topic of teaching The Confederate Flag is controversial. Some people believe that you should not teach something with a negative connotation attached to it. However others, including me, believe that teachers need to teach the events that took place years prior, no matter the connotation.

The flag of the United States is our national symbol and our most important symbol of all; it symbolizes our nation’s strength and pride. Due to its high values and symbolism, by 1932, forty-eight states had adopted the flag desecration laws to legally protect and restrict desecration of the flag of the United States. However, these flag desecration laws only lasted until 1989, because in 1989, in the Texas v Johnson case, the United States Supreme Court recognized that flag desecration as a form of symbolic political speech that is constitutionally protected by First Amendment and agreed that the “government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable”( ).

The Stars and Bars were the first official flag of the Confederacy. Although a striking likeness is shared between this flag and to the Union’s “Stars and Stripes,” the symbols are representations of two nations at war; two very different places and mindsets. The Confederate Stars and Bars were flown from March, 1861, to May, 1863 and throughout that time this flag would gain stars at the same rate that the confederacy gained states into their union, until a final count of thirteen. The Stars and Bars were flown as the Confederate Nation’s battle ensign during many battles of the Civil War, including the battle between ironclads, a world-changing battle that took place between the CSS Virginia

The poet then presents a scene of patriotic relevance as he describes a scene of a regiment marching into battle with their “flag” and “Eagle with crest of red and gold” (17-18). When people think of flags, they think of patriotism and representing their country. Eagles also symbolize freedom but as readers can witness in the work, the poet makes it seem as if these men were created not to enjoy the gift of life for one moment by him saying “These men were born to drill and die” (19). This comes across to the reader as almost inhumane. Then by illustrating an image of a field of thousands of dead corpses makes any reader wonder why people even go to war. The whole fourth stanza paints a picture of living human being going into a battle with most, if not any, making it out alive. Like stated before, the speaker in the poem builds a case for those people that opposed to war even though the title of the poem might