In this country we respect our flags a lot more than other nations across the globe. We do it to an almost comical degree and to a point where it starts harming our ability to connect with one another as a nation.
There has been a lot of controversy kicked up over what is commonly called the “Confederate Flag” and how it has been connected to the shooting of an all-black church. The shooter is apparently a big fan of it, which of course he is because it is a racist flag to be used by racist people in the racist activities they partake in.
By all accounts the “Confederate Flag” has been used more by the KKK in its horrendous onslaught on common decency than by the actual Confederacy during the war. A flag doesn’t last forever, even within the timeframe of a nation’s lifespan. The flag we have for our country has gone through dozens of designs over the years. Flags don’t always stand for the same issues they do when first introduced and the meaning and context of a flag can change depending upon who’s using it. So it boggles my mind to see people put so much weight and emphasis on a piece of fabric that’s probably going to get redesigned anyway.
It isn’t like I don’t get why people do it. I’m actually really fond of our own Cowboy Joe. In fact, if it came down to it, I would have to say I like the Cowboy Joe flag more than our national flag in terms of pure utilitarian purpose. Old Glory has a lot of history and creative design decisions behind it, but Cowboy Joe is simpler and it can be used for practically anything in a pinch. I like that, but I don’t forget the ideas behind the symbol and what it stands for.
But that being said, Cowboy Joe does not matter. The “Confederate Flag” does not matter. The Stars and Stripes do not matter. What matters are the ideas these flags stand for and the ideas we live and die for in this country. If you want to show your pride for the South and of standing up against a bullying Union, then there are plenty of flags the Confederacy used that have not been ruined by years of hate-mongering. Use one of those, because ultimately a flag doesn’t matter and in the wake of yet another tragic shooting, focusing our efforts on debating the merits of cloth rather than getting to the heart of the issues at hand has me dumbstruck.
There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of flag love, but be sure that you are standing up for the ideas and not a piece of fabric. A flag is a superficial tool used to express ideas and an identity. And when a tool breaks, it is time to get a new one.
