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A Few Thoughts on Flag Day, ’22
On June 14th, 1777, after more than two years of war with Great Britain, and nearly a year after declaring independence, the Congress of the United States passed the Flag Resolution. It states:
[T]he flag of the thirteen United States (shall) be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.
From that day henceforth, the flag of the United States has been a standard of the ideals and aspirations of the nation then fighting to be born, and of its subsequent growth to this day.
Traditionally, red symbolizes hardiness, valor, and the blood of those who gave their lives for the country. White signifies purity and innocence. Blue represents vigilance, perseverance, and justice.
The Stars and Stripes was first officially flown on August 3, 1777, at the Battle of Fort Stanwix – the American Soldiers literally tore strips of cloth from their uniforms and red flannel undergarments to hand-sew the new flag. The British defeat at the siege and the subsequent American victory at the Battles of Saratoga are proud validation of the bravery and courage of the men and women who are our Patriot Ancestors.
Although a historical coincidence, June 14 is also the Birthday of the United States Army. I find it especially significant that the first official raising of the National Colors was by the Soldiers likewise authorized by that same Congress some two years previously.
I encourage all to make today (if you haven’t already done so) to say the Pledge of Allegiance. While doing so, take the opportunity to look afresh at the “Star-Spangled Banner” and appreciate what it has meant in the past, what it means today, and what it symbolizes for the future.
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Thanks for the post.
I find it depressing. I don’t know whether I should write anything about this. I felt the same way on Memorial Day weekend, when my usual sense of patriotism was replaced with sadness.
I sometimes have the feeling that we’ve lost the country. I don’t feel this way all of the time, but it seems to be getting more common.
I followed your advice, and said the Pledge of Allegiance. I got to the part about being “one Nation under God, indivisible,” and it just doesn’t ring true. I feel as if our nation, on the whole, has turned its back on God. I feel that our real flag is now the rainbow flag. I’m sure not going to pledge allegiance to that one.
I find myself torn between sadness and anger. I’m not sure what to do about it.
Thanks for reading the post, and taking the time to say the Pledge of Allegiance.
The question of “nations,” “states,” and “countries” has been on my mind for some time now. Unlike the conventional thinking in my particular academic discipline, I teach my students that we must recognize the differences between these three ideas. (To put it another way, nations, states, and countries are different things – interrelated, to be sure, but not synonyms of each other.)
I share your concern…are we “one nation under God”? I’m starting to question this, although I am not yet ready to surrender to despair.
All is not doom and gloom!
I am heartened that my grandson’s 5th grade (public school) is finishing up the year with some time spent on the American Revolution, some of the history of our founding without any PC nonsense.
Yesterday, the students wrote letters to King George, and could choose whether to be supportive or to express dissatisfaction. I understand my grandson wrote to express the reasons he thought George was a “bad king,” echoing some of the complaints listed in the Declaration of Independence.
Long may Old Glory wave.
Yeah, I don’t want to surrender to despair, either. There’s always a chance for a turnaround. It may be out of our hands. I do hope and pray that the Lord sends us another Great Awakening.
I am surprised that things have become as bad as they have. I remember thinking, back during the Obamacare period, that the Left had overreached and that there would be a backlash. The Tea Party looked like it might be such a backlash, but it didn’t persist. It was very depressing when Obama was reelected.
I do think that Romney was a bad candidate, both in general and specifically as an opponent of Obama. My thinking is colored by my subsequent move into the Trump camp, toward a more populist position on a number of issues. I was unenthusiastic about Romney at the time, but was unclear about what I preferred. I think that I voted for Santorum in the primaries, who seemed the closest to my views, but I wasn’t very enthusiastic about him either.
My feeling, though, is deeper than current politics. I just have the feeling that we are way, way off track. I’m starting to believe that I was taught a false history in my youth — I’m among the oldest in Gen X — which denied the Christian heritage of our nation. I was not a Christian at the time, so this was congenial to me. Looking back, it seems to be an academic and historical fraud on a par with the 1619 Project.
On the topic that you raise, what are the distinctions that you draw between nations, states, and countries? These are sometimes used as synonyms, but your point seems to be that this is an error. Would you elaborate?
As regards your observation RE: teaching of American history – I agree 100%. The British North American colonies that became America can only be rightly understood within the context of Western Civilization, and that means Christendom. Contemporary post-modernism hates and denies this, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
Regarding the differences between nations, states and countries: Allow me to demur in favor of offering this for a separate post on another day. (I’d prefer not to hijack my own post!)
Thank you for this post, PH. I, too, recited the Pledge, and surprised myself ending with “amen.” It was a spontaneous reaction, maybe to remind myself that we are not in this struggle alone, although it sometimes feels that way.
Susan, this actually makes me feel a bit better. Thanks.
It reminds me of my days in Catholic high school. I’m not a Catholic now, and really never was, though I flirted with Catholicism briefly during my senior year.
The part that I’ve been thinking about lately was our daily recitation of the Pledge and the Prayer. It was over the intercom system, led by the student body president each year, who happened to be friends of mine in my final two years.
I’ve been thinking of the Lord’s Prayer recently, and I remembered this experience. One of my thoughts is that it’s a good idea to say these things daily. Another of my thoughts is that you don’t want to let such recitation become rote. You should pay attention to the words.
Thanks to both you and Postmodern Hoplite for the reminder to do this with the pledge.
Thanks, Jerry. You have now inspired me, too; I was going to write about my morning prayer, but still can’t figure out how to do it. I think I will try to find a way.
This is from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer (2019): “For Our Nation” (Occasional Prayer #39)
“Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure conduct. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom, in thy Name, we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.“
The main part of our house is a log structure which was supposedly built in 1803 – the year the Lewis & Clark expedition started. Because of this, when we fly the flag. we use the Ft. McHenry flag which was used at that time. This has 15 stars and 15 stripes. The added two were for Vermont and Kentucky which had been added after the original 13 states. After that, the decision was made to go back to the original 13 stripes and add a star for each state.
I am surprised how few people notice the difference.
I often wonder what the generations of people who have lived here would have thought of our current situation. The Civil War is the closest I can imagine to what we have now. Virginia was a southern state, but our part of northern Virginia was settled by a number of Quakers and other abolitionists, so there was a lot of conflict between neighbors.
I hope we get out of this intact
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Howard Zinn’s work is everywhere.
I voted for Romney in the 2008 primary, because I already knew that John “the Renegade” McCain was a pant-load. I voted for Romney in 2012, but after the lame campaign he mounted, I did so without enthusiasm. Since then, he has lived down to my expectations.
That would have come as a shock to the first member of my family to make it to America. He was all about living somewhere where he could pray without the government trying to kill him.
Would you elaborate?
We have been saluting strips of somebody’s mom’s underwear for all these years….
And celebrating a victory largely based on the Brits being dumb enough to believe Benedict Arnold’s lie that 3,000 troops were on the way to relieve the fort.
Women ready to disrobe for the cause, brave men defying the odds while making our enemies feel stupid. America!!
He was a Mennonite, but in his district in Switzerland, that was enough to get you killed. He stopped in Esslingen long enough to convert his goods into cash, then lit out for Amsterdam to catch a boat.
Thanks. I don’t see how your ancestor would have any problem with recognizing the Christian heritage of the US.
He didn’t have a problem. The worst thing he might face was paying a tithe to the Anglicans or Congregationalists despite not being a member. That was a far cry from being killed, and probably seemed acceptable. When the colony of Pennsylvania was founded with express religious tolerance, he was off like a shot. Some family members stayed or returned later to Virginia, though. Some of them “converted” at one point. Most of the Mennonites seem to have become Methodists during the Great Awakening. Maybe because it was next in the phone book.
And fighting the first US naval battle on Lake Champlain!
Yes, and not to quibble, but I believe the U.S. forces (also commanded by Benedict Arnold) were flying the “Grand Union” flag: Stripes with the Union Jack in the upper right canton.