Do You Own A Large American Flag?

[arwalden]

I'm talking about a full-sized one that's large enough to fly on a freestanding pole or a pole that's mounted to the side of your house. (Sorry... for the purpose of this poll, things like flag lapel pins, desktop flags, and SUV flags don't count.)

Discussion: When was the last time you displayed your American flag?Do you fly it ALL the time, 24-7? Or just on special patriotic occasions?

More Discussion: Have the Republicans "won" in the "who's-more-patriotic" contest? I'm ashamed to admit it... and I know it's not logical, but I have to confess that that most every time I see anyone displaying the American flag (on their home or car or lapel) I immediately assume "there's another Republican SOB".

I feel like flying the flag is a way of showing nationalistic support for the war in Iraq. I know I ought not feel that way... but I do anyway... so I don't fly it.

[DebJ]

1. I'll be damned if I'll let neocons steal MY flag, MY country,

and the right to call myself patriotic.
This flag represents the PEOPLE, not the neocon minority. I'll hang mine, as I do, 24-7, and say THEY have no right to fly OUR flag, which they believe should represent only the wealthy minority.
I WANT MY COUNTRY AND MY FLAG BACK. NOW!

[mconvente]

7. amen to that

Whenever I see those magnetic yellow "Support Our Troops" "stickers", I just can't believe how the repukes usurped patriotism in our country. And half of them are on big SUVs... That's ok though; I pull up to those cars with mine that has a magnetic bumper sticker of Kerry-Edwards, two Kerry stickers on the left side, one on the right, and "NO-W" signs on both sides. HA!

[DebJ]

21. It should say: Support our Troops. Bring them home!

[alphafemale]

29. I echo that.

And we follow "Flag Code" better than I'd guess 99% of Republicans.

We have a light on it or take it in at night. And we take it in bad weather.

When it starts to get worn it will be retired in a respectful ceremony conducted by the local Legion group.

Yeah. It's a inanimate object. I know that.

The cloth making it up is no different than any other.

But it's a Talisman for me. A daily reminder of all the best of our hopes, dreams and ambitions; as well as the terrible things done beneath it. It's a powerful symbol, and I'm not going to let those who would be tyrants take sole possession of it.

Just like they aren't taking my country.

[susanna]

33. What alphafemale says about flying/retiring, etc.

is true for me. I light it properly, maintain it, and respect it. In bad weather, it comes inside; when the illumination light isn't working, it comes inside; it never touches the ground; it is raised/lowered with care; it is properly retired when its useful life is done. I do not fly flags on my car, and I do not wear clothing with flag graphics. Personal preference.

True story: driving into my parking garage at work one morning, I saw a "car flag" on the driveway leading out of the garage. I watched a Bush-supporting co-worker, with two car flags on his vehicle, RUN OVER THE ONE IN THE DRIVEWAY. No kidding.

Even though I was running late that morning, I parked immediately and retrieved the downed flag, lest another stupid jerk decided it was okay to drive over it. Go figure, some pinko-commie-liberal saved the flag after a Bush-lovin' moron drove over it.

[alphafemale]

35. I get very agitated when I see tattered, soiled flags.

I would love to have the discretionary income to be able to have a supply of flags in the car and when a flag due retirement is spotted, to replace that flag with new one.


Along with a copy of the flag code. Stamped-"Courtesy of a Liberal - Democratic."

[Dogmudgeon]

47. Hundreds of flags in the gutter

I started noticing them around 9/15/2001, when they began to come loose from the cheap plastic sticks used to mount them on their cars.

At one spot near Exit 25 on the Pennsylvania Turnpike -- only five or six miles from Valley Forge -- I saw a cluster of at least a dozen, probably blown there by a traffic-and-wind anomaly.

--bkl
What so proudly we hailed ...

[NMDemDist2]

2. in AZ most of the "flag" houses belong to the Dems, it surprised me

but that has been my experience canvassing the neighborhoods around here

[Pirate Smile]

3. Fly the flag plus a Kerry Edwards sign in your yard or another sign

about the Iraq War you agree with - like "support our troops, re defeat Bush".

[BlackVelvetElvis]

4. I have the one that they put on my father's casket.

It's on my bookcase in my living room under the display I made of his medals.

[illuminaughty]

41. That's the only flag I have too

Displayed with Dad's medals. Thirty some missions in a B-17 over Germany.

I won't fly a flag again until the morons in this country learn the basic history behind it..good and bad.

The right have temporarily hijacked our flag and I just can't join that parade until we have restored some of our dignity we once had around the world.

[wolfgirl]

5. My flag is flown all

the time...for more years than this war. I have one son in the Navy & one in the AirForce...

[tilsammans]

6. I just took my flag to be cleaned . . .

. . . I am hoping to fly it proudly on November 3!

:kick:

[fishnfla]

8. We have a large flag, yes

You should not make assumptions like that. You drive by my house and see it flying and you think I'm a son of a bitch? Gee, thanks brother!

We're all Americans, fools from both sides included I guess.

[arwalden]

10. I Said "I Know It's Not Logical"

So try not to take it TOO PERSONALLY when I confess my concerns and tell you how I feel... brother.

-- Allen

[mitchtv]

9. It's too windy around here, it gets expensive

We have 3 two 3X5's and a smaller 2x4 to fly with our Calif flag. Sometimes when I am particulary angry, or ashamed, I will fly Calif only. I have a NYC flag that I fly when family is in town. Little joke: we flew the Colombian flag at half mast when Regan died. I have a flag with a coctail glass on it, and hope to fly with my US on Nov 3.

[juajen]

11. Actually, mine is too big to fly

It was off the coffin of my husband's uncle who fought and died in WWII. It is actually huge

[Wwagsthedog]

12. My large flag is too big to fly from anything I own too

Has 48 stars on it

[arwalden]

14. I'd Love To Own A 48 Star Flag!!

They are just PERFECT! I've always liked how the 48 stars are layed out in perfect rows... much more attractive than the 50-star flag.

Some online flag stores sell new flags with old star fields... but they want 5 or 6 TIMES the going rate for the same quality 50-star flag.

Maybe I'll try ebay.

-- Allen

[AG78]

13. No

I don't have any. I'm not much for flags. But if people want to fly their flag, more power to them. If they want to burn them, more power to them.

Too symbolic for my taste. The idea behind the flag is great. But to me, the tangible cloth of the flag is far too easy to hijack. Too easy to make excuses about it. Too much emotion placed on the flag.

[arwalden]

18. I Know What You Mean... Some Folks Treat It Like A HOLY RELIC

they spend more time LITERALLY *worshipping* the piece of cloth than understanding what it's supposed to (what it used to) represent.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

15. a 3 x 5 flag, which I fly on holidays...

...i dont feel the need to prove my patriotism, and frankly, the way this country is starting to fuck over the gays, im not feeling too patriotic these days anyway.

[arwalden]

16. I've Got A 3x5 Rainbow Flag That I Used To Fly At Our Old Home...

... but our new neighborhood (although mostly pleasant) gives me cause to think twice about displaying it.

-- Allen

[GoneOffShore]

17. If we had a flag

which we don't - we live in the city and it would be tough to display one properly - it would only fly on Memorial Day, July 4th, Presidents Day and Flag Day and Labor Day.
Any other display, unless it's on a government building cheapens the display.
There isn't one on my car, my lapel or my tshirt.
I don't have to fly a flag to prove my citizenship - I do that by paying taxes, voting, and contributing to my community.

[TahitiNut]

19. It's interesting that you omit Veterans Day.

I guess that's normal. I've noticed for many years that people really find more reason to celebrate on Halloween than on Veterans Day. I guess they're druids. :shrug:

[Flammable Materials]

20. I have the flag that was laid on my father's casket ...

... at his military funeral.

I flew it proudly after September 11th.

If America votes George Bush in for another four years, I will be boxing it up and sending it to my sister for her to do with it as she sees fit.

[progressivebydesign]

22. A cherised family flag.. put upon my veteran father's casket. n/t

[BiggJawn]

23. I will not display it until 1-20-05 at the earliest.

I took it down after Chimp squandered all the world's good will and started shaking his dick at the UN.

I replaced it with the Gadsden flag.

[ILUVME]

27. Are you an AMERICAN???

The American flag does not represent Republican's or Democrat's only. It represents our great nation!!!

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[in_cog_ni_to]

24. We have one, but don't fly it, I just ordered a PEACE Flag

3' X 5' and I'm flying that from now on. I like the message it sends. :hi:

[alphafemale]

36. I would also love to fly the "World" flag.

That is stunningly beautiful.

[Generic Other]

25. They come free with a dead veteran

right off the coffins.

[sffreeways]

38. If the flag came with a dead veteran

it wasn't free. It was priceless.

[sffreeways]

26. I have 3

When a loved one dies who was in the military and they drape the casket in it the honor guard folds it at the grave and hands it to you.

I have one for my Dad, one for my son and one that flies from a pole on my home all of the time except in bad weather. It's lit at night too. The one the Marine Corp gave me for David is in a display case in my livingroom and I burn a white candle by it every night. I do it for David.

I'm an out lesbian and a proud leftist. I have as much of a right to this country as the freepers. I fly my flag for a couple of reasons.

My son David was a Marine and a Firefighter, an Eagle Scout and a pilot with Civil Air Patrol and I am proud of him. The flag represents the pride I have for my son. He loved his country.

I know my neighbors know I'm a lesbian and they have probably assumed correctly that I'm a liberal democrat. The freeper fascist ones have probably assumed incorrectly that I hate America. I fly my flag because I want them to know I have as much right to the freedoms in America as they have. I fly it for the haters. I know it probably irritates the shit out of them.

When I get my John Kerry for President lawn sign it will look really great with my big American flag.

[BlackVelvetElvis]

28. That's what it's about.

I'm also proud of my veteran father (Korea 1950-1953). Thanks for your very touching post.

[alphafemale]

30. Now that's what I'm talkin' about. YES!

:yourock:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

32. There's a big flag on my house, near my Kerry lawn sign

and a small flag sticker on my car, near my Kerry bumper sticker. The damn freepers don't own the flag. Anyhow, I'm hoping the juxtaposition makes a few of their heads explode.

[BamaGirl]

34. Just took

ours down. I put it up 9-02 when my husband got deployed with the intention of keeping it up until he came home. And I did do that. He ended up being gone two years though, so it's pretty ratty now. I need to replace it. I was damned glad to take down my service flag and hope I never have occassion to put it back up. I'll have a new flag up soon. No way am I gonna let these sob's co-opt my symbols!

~~BamaGirl

[kokomo]

37. 4X6 on a 20 ft lighted pole, the only one in my Republican neighborhood

All my neighbors have their Bush/Cheney signs in their yards, and I cannot get a Kerry/Edwards sign for mine from our headquarters, so I may make a homemade one. I am sure a Kerry sign at the foot of my flagpole will piss off the Republicans and be stolen. I also have only red, white, and blue flowers in the bed around the base! Yet I was called anti-American when I vocally opposed the Bush war.

[tritsofme]

39. Large flag in the front yard, yellow ribbon around the tree, Kerry/Edwards

sign on the lawn along with my Obama sign.

Causes some RW types to do a doubletake as they walk by.

[andino]

40. I have a 8 X 5 of this...

Cause I'm OLD SCHOOL!!!

[Dem2theMax]

42. Yep. Large flag on free standing pole. As for how long it's been

in front of my house - I've lived in a number of places, and I'm 48 years old. The flag has been in front of my home for 48 years and counting. 24/7. Flag is lit at night.

Both of my parents are WWII veterans. Mom did things on the home front. Dad was in Pacific theater. He literally did fight for that flag. So it's up there to honor my parents as much as it is to honor my country. My Dad has always had a flag and I have followed suit. And it has nothing to do with 'nationalistic support for the invasion of Iraq.'

As for the repukes, they 'use' the flag to say 'look at me, I'm more patriotic than you are. I care more about America than you do.'
If they cared at ALL about America, they'd be voting for Kerry.

[NoPasaran]

43. I have a flag

And I fly it on holidays. This is MY country and MY flag. It doesn't belong to those fucking religiofascists.

[NoPasaran]

44. .

whoops

[Dogmudgeon]

45. We own two

One we fly on the "appropriate" holidays and special occasions calling for a display of flags. We will probably fly it on November 3rd should Kerry defeat Bush.

The other one is tri-folded and in a special display case. It is the flag a small military honor guard flew when my father, a 40-year veteran of the military, was buried -- eight years ago today.

--bkl

[crispini]

46. I am aware of the subtext you talk about

but as dems we ought not to allow it.

It's MY FLAG TOO. I'm taking it back, you should too.

I have Support our Troops yellow ribbon on my car, hope to get a flag sticker soon. Right next to my KE and other dem stickers! And, have big flag which I fly on holidays too.