Why the American flag isn't always a hate symbol, even in Arizona in 2021


If you're reading this in the future (which is why I'm writing this, this is a history blog after all), you may be puzzled if you've read a lot of stuff about the American flag becoming a hate symbol in 2021. And since exaggeration sells newspapers, and gets "click bait" clicks, and I have no interest in either one, if you're here you may be kinda disappointed at how dull, or at mundane, all of this really is. So take a deep breath, calm down, and let's take a look at flying the American flag in 2021.

First of all, yes it's true that the American flag was flown along hate symbols like the Confederate flag, and the message was very clear. There were people who hated very deeply, and if you're wondering what groups of people they hated, just go Google who the Klu Klux Klan hated, and it's the same. I have to admit that going past this kind of stuff in 2020 gave me the creeps, and I'm a white guy!

Then in 2021 the adjacent flags came down, and the America flags stayed up, leading to some confusion as to what the message was. And then there were people like me who started flying the flag to show pride in my country, after the new president was sworn in office. There were, and are, people who fly the flag not as a hate symbol, but because they believe in the principles of the United States, especially democracy.

Speaking for myself, I took my flag down a couple of days ago (it's June of 2021) because it just seemed to be sending the wrong message. I'm an old graphic designer, and I learned a long time ago that "if it looks wrong, it is wrong." And flying the flag just looked wrong on me, a grey-haired white guy in Arizona. My close friends know that I wasn't flying it as a hate symbol, but my neighbors might get the wrong idea. And yes, I do care about what my neighbors think - I don't live on an island, I live in a community.

I've lived in Arizona for a long time, and on planet earth for even longer, and I've learned a bit about human nature. And this is the part that may get kinda dull, sorry. I know that people just kinda string along, and you shouldn't jump to a conclusion that, for example, I'm a Phoenix Rising Football Club fan just because I ride around with the logo. I'm sure that there are serious fans who would never miss a game, and a lot of people in the middle, and a scattering of people like me, who just kinda like the logo. And that's how I see how the American flag was used. There were a percentage of fanatics (whom we saw on January 6th attacking the Capitol) and then there were a percentage of people who just string along. But for now it's wise to assume that if you see an American flag flying at a house, it's a hate symbol, until you've determined that it isn't, by talking to the owner. Better safe than sorry.

I hope that you found this blog post interesting, even if it wasn't exciting. These are interesting times.
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