by Mjrinella

Created on: June 07, 2008

The American flag is a status symbol of everything our nation has gone through. We display it proudly; it's not uncommon to find a flag in every other street in this nation. Men and women join their voices as they chime the Pledge of Allegiance. Americans are proud of their flag, and their nation. But what exactly pulls them to love their flag? What does it mean for Americans today?

Yes, there are the text books definitions of what the flag should mean to us. The stars represent states, the red represents valor and bravery, the blue signifies justice, and the white represents innocence. But is it still so today? As times change, so do philosophies. The meaning of the US flag to an everyday citizen is different now than in the past. We each find individual meanings within each part of the US flag, and so the flag means something different to each of us.

For some, it represents that we are truly united. Most citizens know by heart the Pledge of Allegiance. It does not matter that we are different colors, different ethnicities, or flat out different. We can come together to create something beautiful under one flag. How would the flag have possibly worked if only one color were flaunted on it? No, it takes more than one color; it takes different patterns and stripes and stars to form the piece of art we know as our flag. Same with the people united below it. We could not be the nation we are today without people of all different cultures, colors, and beliefs. Despite the fact that we are different, we are still beautiful. We come together, united, and make something wonderful.
For others, it's a symbol of every citizen within the USA. We are all composed of different parts and pieces, but we still have our unique gifts and talents. These shine through, creating stars on each individual. For some, their talents may be subtle and undeveloped, but it doesn't matter. They are gifted, and they have something to contribute to society. Where would we be without even the most obscure gifts? Imagine the flag without its stars; it loses most of its elegance and beauty. So too is society without those every day gifts, or even those magnificent ones. We can't be a society without each individual; just as we can't have a flag with 49 stars.

Yet still others debate that it represents something more. Something so deep and poetic, that there is no way to possibly explain it. Others see nothing deep or symbolic in the flag, and just go through the daily routines. Thousands of possible explanations of the flag are all available and legit.

However when all is said and done, there is a common theme between how we view our flag. We all have an individual meaning within something that is the same. We see it differently, and there is no wrong way to view it. However, when we join hands under the flag, we somehow find the same sense of unity in a symbol so deep. We come together as a society, even if we are composed of different beliefs of what the flag represents. And so I personally believe it is a symbol of our very own society. With beliefs so different, with people so different, we still stand strong together. And that's what the flag means to Americans today.

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