by Jeff Franklin

Created on: June 21, 2010   Last Updated: July 02, 2010

Changed Reflections for the Flag and Independence Day, July 4, 2010

 This July 4th, unlike the ones I knew 50 years ago, I have to do some real soul searching before I display the American flag.

 When I drive down any street in Anytown, USA, I see more “for sale/foreclosed” signs in people’s yards than American flags mounted on their garages.  Upon passing cemeteries and military memorials, I see disturbed ground over the graves of thousands of soldiers that have turned in their grave so much by now.  I wonder: “Does God really ‘bless’ America?  Should He bless America?”

 Should we be proud?  Should we give our lives for this: America: a fascist/capitalistic country that recently let Wall Street make paupers of its citizens, let BP Corporation ruin the oceanic environment because of America’s OBSESSION with oil (as opposed to clean hydrogen fuel), has regime after regime after regime on Capitol hill accepting bribes, bowing down to, and obeying the lobbyists of evil instead of the constituent people, sends its people off to useless, senseless foreign wars, and basically trashed the Constitution by the so-called “Patriot Act”?

 In response to the never ceasing controversy about the American flag, including where, when or how to display it (including in class rooms, etc.), perhaps it would help to have a once-and-for-all, clear cut definition (or a new definition) made nationally to the public – of just what the flag really stands for, as well as what it does not stand for, or represent.  There is colossal public confusion over this.  If the definition could clearly state that the flag stands for the American people and/or their dream, and nothing but these, then clearly, it should proudly fly and display anywhere.  If, however, the flag is an image, representation or symbol in the collective American mind of the government in Washington D.C., or branches thereof, or how they “represent us” (cough, cough, choke, upchuck - pardon me), or slave, I mean free trade, or bondage, I mean capitalism, or hostage, I mean free market/enterprise, then the flag should clearly be taken down, shamed, disdained as a public disgrace, and incinerated in high temperature flame, UNTIL the flag (or a new flag) can be redefined to meet the former definition, above.  For analogy: can we “support the US troops” without implying support for the wrong and evil war?  Or the evil administration that got us into a wrong war?  I hope someone credentialed enough to speak for the whole nation, can make an edit to the Constitution to define and clarify this flag question, forever.  Based upon that written answer, we will know whether “to fly, or not to fly” the flag – sic, to display “the colors” or forever “retire the colors”.

 My new flag for an America of a REAL, for-the-people, socially accountable, populist representative DEMOCRACY (which puts Americans first, not lobbyists, corporations, let alone, foreign states) would have a bright golden sun in the upper left corner – sending rays into a field of green.  Those would be the two colors (totally opposite colors of red and blue in the present flag – which smells of crony, predatory capitalism, like the filthy smell of the large flag flanking the NYSE building).  Across the bottom would be a new MOTTO for America in black violet letters saying in mixed Latin phrasing: “Potentia ute Pluribus” – meaning Power to the People!

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