The LA Times has an interesting commentary on the question, “When do we take the flags down?”
There was reason, clearly, to embrace the flag. No one was blindly declaring “my country right or wrong.” This was “our country wronged,” in the most vicious way. “This time it’s not us trying to impose our values on them. It’s them trying to impose our values on us,” pronounced another friend who came of age in the Vietnam era and who traditionally has been leery of nationalism and patriotic fervor, aware of how quickly they can get out of hand.
Actually, I take it back — the story is not very interesting, but the question is.
We put up our flag in front after 9-11, intending to keep it up for a week, then for a month. It’s still up. Part of it is that we are still at war. Given the nebulous nature of this war, this might mean it’s up there for a while.
But taking it down … that seems to be a positive step. An assertion, a response or reaction to something. Once it’s been up for a while, there has to be a reason one is taking it back down. The war being over, for example. Or something happens that ends my active support for the conflict, or for the administration does something particularly infuriating, or … something.
Hmmm. It might be up there a while while I figure it out …
(Via Follow Me Here)