I find myself nodding in agreement regarding Rick Shenkman's writings. Myths are nice and important to our lives but having them questioned is so unsettling. Especially if you add this great tool called the internet in which you can actually look up your details. This can be scary stuff to some of our basic beliefs when our heroes are shown to be pretty human.

But don't be afraid to look for the truth no matter where it leads ya!



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http://www.hnn.us

On the flip side, shwing affection for the flag is the equivalent of showing affection for our nation and the principles it was founded on. Shying away from display of the flag is a MAJOR RED FLAG!

it seems that "liberals" have deemed the American flag as something to be embarrassed about and something you should never be caught dead displaying or celebrating. That to me is a sign of rejection of the founding principles of our nation and I cannot ally myself with any group that chooses to adopt this view.

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Slavish attention to symbols while ignoring what the symbols actually symbolize is a trait of fascists.

What liberals are you talking about?
Most liberals don't think you need to wave a flag to be patriotic and most are skeptical of movements that involve "flag-waving" to garner support... but I'm not aware of too many liberals who are embarrassed by the flag.

As for the article, it's on point. And it goes much farther than just the flag. A lot of America's "history" is mythic in character.
Sometimes this stuff is collectively referred t oby anthropologists as "civil religion" and it carries many of the same traits as religion in general, both good and bad.

On the good side, the flag and the national anthem can invoke feelings of pride in what the country stands for and give us a feeling of greater community.
But like with religion, it can cause huge conflict between groups that see "what the flag means" in different ways. The conflicts are almost identical to those seen between different sects of religion.
Looking closer, our major historical figures have been placed in such a manner as to invoke Judeo-Christian imagery. Note the similarities in Washington as a mythic figure to Moses, the Constitution to the Ten Commandments, Lincoln to Jesus... Don't take it too literal. I'm not saying people believe Lincoln is Jesus... but his mythic self is spoken of in similar terms.

Here's a bit of background:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_civil_religion

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside

Great! You answer an article about myth making with a myth! Did you read the article about the founding fathers attitude toward the flag?

US Flag Not Always Seen As A Sacred Symbol

What I feel is that people should have more respect for the actual citizens the flag is supposed to represent. Flying the flag and telling each other to get (*)(*)(*)(*)ed is not what patriotism is all about.

So saying that the flag is a symbol of what our nation's founding principles are is perpetuating a myth eh? So what does the flag stand for then?

I do not disagree that people should respect each other, but what does that have to do with what the flag represents, other than one main founding principle is that all men are created equal!

So what is the myth I am perpetuating? That all men are created equal?

My post said nothing about how closely we have adhered to our founding principles. Clearly we have ventured far from them at times, but that has nothing to do with the flag.

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Pretty funny stuff. You change your argument to something else. What myth are you perpetrating?

Its not! "Acting" on the principles and accepting them is more effective than showing affection for the flag.

That's a myth and your perpetrating that myth actually is showing that you don't understand the concept of free speech or free thinking. It bothers me that someone would think showing affection for a piece of cloth equals showing affection for your nation which is both "liberal" "conservative" and whatever. You would show more by trying to understand all views instead of simply twisting them to fit your own view. How is respecting different points of view equal twisting them to appear less patriotic? Reread the article again and you will see yourself.

The American flag is the representation of the sacrifices made by those who fought and gave all for freedom. IMHO. The statement that freedom isn't free is so true! So many americans take it for granted that the freedoms we so value, comes easily from those armchair quarterbacks who have invested nothing into their country but complaints.
The flag for many represents the foundation of the new experiment in the world that allowed the people to rule their government. So many have died to preserve our nations freedom, the flag stands as the emblem of that sacrifice.

The flag is a symbol of America, those who wear the pin are showing their allegiance and in some way showing their affection to the country and the people who live here. It also serves as a reminder of where we came from.

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There shall ye find Light

Be thou faithful unto Death
And I will give thee a crown of Life

I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide and then questions the manner in which I provide it.

Oh cruel fate, to be thusly boned. Ask not for whom the bone bones. It bones for thee.

...or, it's a way of saying, "LOOKEE HERE! ME SO PATRIOTICKER THAN YOU!"

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Jesus Christ was a "Community Organizer".
Pontius Pilate was a "Governor."