I have a flag pole and have not flown an American flag on it in years. I just don’t feel it these days. We put up sports team flags when they’re playing, other countries’ flags on some holidays, we’re flying the pride flag these days. I have hopes that some day I’ll feel the Stars and Stripes again.
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
Without fail, it makes me think of Republicans. I don't really have positive associations with our flag.
This. My perception of the flag has been tainted due to the very ugly history and bullshit nationalism. I just don’t have any real positive feelings toward it and I automatically think alt-right or conservative any time I see one in someone’s yard. I’m usually right.
Even when I was married to my ex, former active duty military, the flag wasn’t something we were gung-ho about.
Post by Jalapeñomel on Jun 28, 2020 18:54:01 GMT -5
What about the pledge of allegiance? Do you say it?
The last school I worked out didn’t do it, but this school does it every morning. I do not say it (for a plethora of reasons, one of which is the “under god” part), but I stand silently.
I don't think politics or political affiliation when I see the US flag. It represents our country and those who have and are serving.
I come from a generational military family so growing up, the flag was everywhere (in pictures of those in uniform, a triangle folded on the mantle for grandpa from WWII, and outside homes). My husband is a service member so I see it every day and now, it reminds me of home since we are not in the US at the moment.
What about the pledge of allegiance? Do you say it?
The last school I worked out didn’t do it, but this school does it every morning. I do not say it (for a plethora of reasons, one of which is the “under god” part), but I stand silently.
Nope, and I haven’t said it since I was in elementary school I think. It squicks me out even more than the flag.
What about the pledge of allegiance? Do you say it?
The last school I worked out didn’t do it, but this school does it every morning. I do not say it (for a plethora of reasons, one of which is the “under god” part), but I stand silently.
I haven’t said it since college. @ It’s supposed to be said every morning in class, but I don’t require that my students say it. I do ask that they remain standing respectfully while others do.
What about the pledge of allegiance? Do you say it?
The last school I worked out didn’t do it, but this school does it every morning. I do not say it (for a plethora of reasons, one of which is the “under god” part), but I stand silently.
I haven’t said it in years. It creeps me out. I stand for it, but keep my arms folded and look down at the floor.
@@@@@@@@ Our schools start the day with it, but my daughters both stopped participating by 3rd or 4th grade because it made them uncomfortable. I made sure they were aware they were constitutionally protected in not participating. Right now both stand for it, but if they didn’t they would have my support if the school said something (which I believe would never reach me as the principal seems fairly progressive himself).
I wouldn't think anything at all if i saw a house with a flag. This was pretty common growing up, and my parents even had one (iirc they only flew it for holidays and some other times, not every single day).
You won't find a flag on my house. I have very little pride in this country. We do have a small flag my H got at his citizenship ceremony displayed indoors, though. I see it more as a souvenir than a display of patriotism.
If you asked me this 10 years ago, I wouldn't think twice of any house with a flag. Today, I definitely think anyone with patriotic displays are MAGA. That's probably very wrong, but the past 4 years have been pretty awful and I don't think there's much to celebrate about being American right now.
Moreover, you can’t paint all of the U.S. with one brush. Anecdotally, I’ve seen many more flags in Southern states than in New York and California. It’s a big country!
(But as long as we’re painting with a broad brush, the stereotype about Canadians is that they have their flag all over their luggage so people don’t mistake them for Americans!)
Well that stereotype is true. 🙂 We are historically a nation of people who didn't want to be American, so not being mistaken for Americans looms large in our cultural identity.
It's not just the flags, it's all the flag merchandise at non-sporting events, the flag clothing, and my personal favourite is the house across from my SIL's with a flag painted garage. I lived in Europe for a long time, both in France and the UK and other than the Olympics and World/Eurocup never noticed the same level of flags. But this might have been because I didn't find their flags as off-putting (see cultural identity above) so maybe it's a down to perception?
What about the pledge of allegiance? Do you say it?
The last school I worked out didn’t do it, but this school does it every morning. I do not say it (for a plethora of reasons, one of which is the “under god” part), but I stand silently.
Nope. They started "requiring" it when I was in high school, following Columbine. I would have refused due to the "under god" part, but the additional implication that the school administration seemed to think that this would somehow prevent a shooting at our school, made me want to break things. My home room teacher pretended she didn't notice that I didn't stand for it or say it, but I heard other teachers say that they would (or perhaps had?) given students detention for refusing to participate.
Fortunately, this hasn't come up very often in adulthood for me. @@@@@@@ It's one of the things I've been kind of dreading about my kid starting school, as I assume they still do it around here. I don't want school making her think she has to say it. I don't want to make her not say it either, or "other-ize" her to her classmates. And I don't think that at 5 years old she could possibly be capable of making an informed decision for herself about it.
What about the pledge of allegiance? Do you say it?
The last school I worked out didn’t do it, but this school does it every morning. I do not say it (for a plethora of reasons, one of which is the “under god” part), but I stand silently.
I stand silently as well. My kids school does it and it's awkward when I'm there. Or if I feel like I have to say it I will be a tiny bit louder around the "under god" part and silent during, because I'm a petty 12 year old.
I don't think much of anything when I see a flag up, the people across the street have one so I see it multiple times a day, so I've grown accustom to ignoring them. When it's a house with an actual pole up I sometimes wonder what prompted someone to go to that level of effort. We have a bracket on our porch to put up a flag but I think we've maybe put one up once in the 10 years we've lived here, and I think that was only because there was something Obama had done that made me patriotic for day lol.
I haven't been in a situation to say the pledge in years, but I don't think I'd say it. I'd most like stand up, if mostly just not to draw attention to myself because some people around here are very "everyone must love America!" types.
@@@one of the local news stations broadcasts a local school saying the pledge every morning during the school year. That's so odd to me. Aren't there better uses for that time during the day?
Moreover, you can’t paint all of the U.S. with one brush. Anecdotally, I’ve seen many more flags in Southern states than in New York and California. It’s a big country!
(But as long as we’re painting with a broad brush, the stereotype about Canadians is that they have their flag all over their luggage so people don’t mistake them for Americans!)
Well that stereotype is true. 🙂 We are historically a nation of people who didn't want to be American, so not being mistaken for Americans looms large in our cultural identity.
It's not just the flags, it's all the flag merchandise at non-sporting events, the flag clothing, and my personal favourite is the house across from my SIL's with a flag painted garage. I lived in Europe for a long time, both in France and the UK and other than the Olympics and World/Eurocup never noticed the same level of flags. But this might have been because I didn't find their flags as off-putting (see cultural identity above) so maybe it's a down to perception?
It might be perception. Certainly the images we tend to see out of the UK are people lining the streets for royal events decked out in the Union Jack and waiving the flag. And, yes, also at major sporting events. It’s not that dissimilar here. Most people aren’t walking around in full American flag regalia (except maybe around this time of year) — although I agree there are certain Americans who waive their flags as a political statement. I’ll concede that there’s a contingent of Americans who are, shall we say, aggressively American, and they tend to be white nationalists.
But I’d wager that the average New Yorker has the same affinity for the flag as the average Londoner or Parisian. It’s not an American thing — it’s an extremism thing.
I never thought “republican” when I saw a flag in front of a house before Trump, but now I definitely think MAGA superfan. Flags aren’t very common in front of houses where I am though, so you only see it if someone goes out of their way to add a place to hang a flag.
What about the pledge of allegiance? Do you say it?
The last school I worked out didn’t do it, but this school does it every morning. I do not say it (for a plethora of reasons, one of which is the “under god” part), but I stand silently.
Never. Quakers don't do the Pledge (nor the flag, for that matter. There are no flagpoles on any part of the campus. We also don't sing the National Anthem before games...we do a moment of silence).
it suits me. I feel very uncomfortable with the Pledge and the anthem. I don't sing them at games (though I will stand).
"Hello babies. Welcome to Earth. It's hot in the summer and cold in the winter. It's round and wet and crowded. On the outside, babies, you've got a hundred years here. There's only one rule that I know of, babies-"God damn it, you've got to be kind.”
Post by wanderingback on Jun 28, 2020 22:28:29 GMT -5
I don't think I really think anything.
I never really "got" the whole flag thing even though I grew up in a military family. I don't feel exceptionally proud to be American. I do feel pretty damn lucky, and it really is just luck that I was born here as opposed to a war-torn or other country where I might be a refugee. I certainly feel much more at "home" when I've been in certain countries in Africa and the Caribbean.
I think the American obsession with flags is weird. You do not see this in other countries.
Anecdote: When H and I were in Denmark last year on his birthday while staying at our friend's parents farm, they raised their Danish flag in the front yard. The dad does it for ALL special occasions.
Post by karinothing on Jun 29, 2020 5:49:42 GMT -5
I actually just assume a veteran lives there? I think everyone I know that flies a flag in front of their house (on non holidays) is a veteran. That being my said, my dad flies one on holidays and is about as liberal as they come.
What about the pledge of allegiance? Do you say it?
The last school I worked out didn’t do it, but this school does it every morning. I do not say it (for a plethora of reasons, one of which is the “under god” part), but I stand silently.
When school was in session I did not say it although it was said each day (the broadcast dept had morning video each day and this was part of that) and everyone got up and put their hands on the heart. I would stand if we were already in a standing position, but sometimes I would just and just generally be there, not looking anywhere in particular. I got a lot of looks from coworkers but no one ever said anything to me and students never asked why I didn’t say it. They did the god part too.
I think the American obsession with flags is weird. You do not see this in other countries.
My dad was career military and he doesn't get it either. When I was little I asked him why some people have flags out and we don't and he said "It's because I know what country I live in."
What about the pledge of allegiance? Do you say it?
The last school I worked out didn’t do it, but this school does it every morning. I do not say it (for a plethora of reasons, one of which is the “under god” part), but I stand silently.
I haven’t said it since college. It’s supposed to be said every morning in class, but I don’t require that my students say it. I do ask that they remain standing respectfully while others do.
Why do you want them to stand? They're not required to do Jack shit
It's funny; I come from a very progressive, liberal, sometimes radical family. When we toured our new home, the then owners had a trump flag up. We joked we would need to seriously sage and smudge our house if we bought it.
We did end up buying it and they left an American flag up on the pole. Whenever ANYONE from my family (sister, parents, cousins, aunts and uncles) either came by or saw pictures they were like "dude, you NEED to change your flag!!" haha
We finally did, to our old state flag. I want to get a BLM flag to put up.
If the flagpole has been there a long time, I would assume military veteran. If it’s recent, I would assume Trump supporter.
My hometown has many active duty Navy and veterans. A lot of WWII veterans put up full flagpoles in their yards in the 1950s. However, the flag symbolizes sacrifice for country, taking care of the community, respect for people who died in the war not the stuff Trump stands for.