Flag Day

[plonq]

I read an interested on-ed piece yesterday concerning how Congress looking to (probably successfully this time) pass a resolution making it a crime to diss the flag (actually it's a constitutional amendment, so it would still have to get past the states).  The gist of the article was that the flag is treated more like a religious symbol than it is a national banner.

"The evidence that we literally worship the flag is overwhelming. Unique among all nations, we have a Flag Day, a Flag code etiquette, a national anthem dedicated to the flag and a verbal salute to the flag. Twenty-seven states require school children to salute the flag daily."

As with most op-ed pieces, it's 90% bullshiat, but it's got enough underlying tidbits of truth to make one step back and say, "Hm."

I've always found that whole "daily mantra to the flag" routine to be a bit creepy - then again, when I was a wee lad we used to have to sing God Save The Queen and recite the Lord's Prayer every morning, so I guess it's all just a matter of perspective.

Comments

[furahi.livejournal.com]

Unique among all nations?

Dang, then I guess that means Mexico with its flag day, flag code etiquette and anthem dedicated to the flag must not be a different nation :(

</sarcasm> :P

[plonq.livejournal.com]

So Mexican youngsters are required to salute and recite a pledge to the flag every day in school too?

[furahi.livejournal.com]

Every day?
No, thank God it's not every day o_o Only on special ocations like flag day

Though they do have to salute the flag every Monday before classes, but that just consists of watching a few kids march with the flag, sing the national anthem (not the one to the flag) and then watch them march away.

Though... now that I think of it, the martial band plays the flag's anthem while they are marching, just nobody sings it o_o

I was in the band, BTW

(I'm the one on the left)
The band is nothing like I've seen "American marching bands" are, this is just martial, consists only of those horns and drums (and sometimes some other forms of trumpets whose name in English I dont know)

[farlo.livejournal.com]

"Unique among first rate nations"
You know, REAL places. Places that matter.

* reminds self to read 'The Ugly American' someday instead of just acting it out *

[farlo.livejournal.com]

The flag-thing is a predictable symptom of America's descent into fascism.

[furahi.livejournal.com]

Oh, my bad, that certainly leaves Mexico out!

[furahi.livejournal.com]

By the way we're more restrictive with the use of our flag...
In the US you see flags anywhere, including in underwear and stuff.
Here it is technically illegal to paint a flag on the hood of your car, for instance; Mexican flag briefs are unexistant, etc...

[dakhun.livejournal.com]

Every country in the world has a flag, and a day on which that flag was officially made the flag - the level of celebration on that day varies from country to country, but the existence of a flag day is not unique. Americans are unique in thinking they are unique even when they are not. ;-)

[furahi.livejournal.com]

ROFL! Even that because Mexicans also think they're unique in every way ;)