Deciding whether to fly your American flag in 2021

It's February of 2021, and if you're a patriotic American, like I am, you may be wondering whether you should fly the flag or not. I'm here to tell you that you should, even if you live in places like Arizona, which is where I live. This is an interesting time in history, and it's worth taking a closer look. I'll see if I can explain.

Depending on how you've been getting your information for the past year or so, you have seen either a violent attempt to overthrow the United States government by rioters, or the most insidious case of a cover-up of corruption in U.S. history. I'll reveal my point of view, by saying that I've been following the story on mainstream media. 

My little suburban neighborhood of Glendale, and the eastern edge of Peoria, suburbs of Phoenix, haven't been particularly outspoken on the subject of the point of view of events that have transpired, but there have been clearly-shown symbols that, if you know what they mean, express an opinion one way or the other. And oddly enough, the American flag has been used as a symbol of defiance to the United States government, especially as it relates to the integrity of the voting system.

To be fair, the American flag has always flown in my neighborhood, and it has only been in the last couple of years that it has been coupled with other symbols to help to clarify the viewpoint of the person flying it as defiance. To name some examples, when the Gadsden flag is flying with it, or a flag promoting the recent past president, or even having multiple flags, and to my surprise, a flag supporting the police. When I've seen a flag flying alone I've tried to give the benefit of the doubt, maybe  some other American patriot (like me) who is flying the flag for what it stands for, and who knows. Maybe a history nerd!

I put my flag up yesterday, and while all of my friends know my political viewpoint, I'm aware that strangers don't know it. And yes, I am concerned with what other people think, and I'd rather not have them think that I'm one of them "them". Demographically, I fit the profile, a grizzled white guy living in Arizona. But I've always believed that Black Lives Matter, and I support the Gay Community, and I've been a Feminist since the 1970s, not to mention a peace-nick tree-hugger.

I believe in a strong federal government, which is what the term "Republican" originally meant. I'm in favor of things like the desegregation of schools, protection of National Parks, and especially Social Security (without which I wouldn't survive!). As a history nerd, I can tell you about the foundation of the United States of America, even what the number of stars and stripes mean. When Betsy Ross sewed the first flag together, it was a symbol of something that the world really never believed would succeed: modern democracy.

So go fly your flag! And if people don't understand, well, maybe it's time that they did, and you can explain it to them, if they'll listen.

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