Who Owns the Flag?

Many so-called patriots proudly fly their American flags all the time—on their houses and properties, on their trucks, on their clothing. They want to prove how proud they are to be Americans, and the deep connection they have with the symbol of their country.

I too have a strong link to that piece of cloth. I pledged allegiance to it daily in my Catholic grade school classroom. And it figured prominently, along with the singing of the national anthem, at the commencements I attended in support of my students.

But my support is less vocal and flashy. I view it as a quiet symbol of the United States of America—which seems more divided than ever these days.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the variations of the flag. The black and white version with the blue line representing the police is one. Worse are those with a former president’s face on them, with the words, “I’ll be back.”

Let’s hope not. Because that division will call into action Abraham Lincoln’s pronouncement: “A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

As for the flag, it doesn’t need variations. It’s perfect the way it is. Stars. Stripes. Colors. We need to all unite under it, against all enemies foreign and domestic—especially those who brandish that flag as a weapon, literally or figuratively.