The War on Flags
By Susan Steffen-Kraft
State flags themselves are certainly acceptable on public buildings. I love both my state's flags; Washington and Idaho. But mostly I love both my states. One I was born and raised in and the other I have lived in for years. I would love to see on the State Capitol grounds of any state a memorial or special spot inside or outside for flags of historical meaning, which would be quite interesting and of value for learning.
I do not practice the gay lifestyle, but that does not mean I am against them flying their rainbow flag from their house or yard. I have to stand for their right to do that; to not do that would be wrong if I stand for freedom. I do not have to stand with a lifestyle or an attitude, that is a different matter. As with many flags, including this one, they should not be on public buildings. Taxpayers have different beliefs so thus you cannot have a public building flying all kinds of flags or the building would be covered with flags. The Stars and Stripes should only be on a Federal public building at the countries capitol. On state buildings, of course, the state flag should be flown with the Stars and Stripes flag.
It cannot be restricted by any nation or denomination. This unique, universal quality makes it like the air we breathe, belonging to all and yet owned by none. For those who want it, wherever and whenever, it is freely theirs. All church flags are organizational symbols of specific corporate, legal, religious entities. The Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, United Methodists, Baptists, United Church of Christ, and others have flags, official or otherwise, but limited to their use and ruled by them. Not so with the Christian Flag. This flag stands in its own right, shines by its own spiritual light, true, free, untrammeled, uncompromised. It belongs only to Christ and the Cross which symbol it bears". Quote from António Martins-Tuválkin, 8 February 2003
It has a uniqueness all it's own so perhaps, in this case, the states should decide, but I know this, that churches and privately owned buildings should have the right to fly this flag or their own flag official or otherwise.
The POW/MIA flag is tied to the National League of POW/MIA Families. This was born in June 1969 as the National League of Families of American Prisoners in Southeast Asia. The mission of this flag was to spread awareness of the mistreatment of prisoners of war at the hands of their captors which is quite worthy. It was the brainchild of Karen Butler, wife of Navy pilot Phillip Butler, who had been shot down over North Vietnam in April 1965. Also, Sybil Stockdale, whose husband, Navy Commander James Bond Stockdale, was the highest-ranking POW in North Vietnam joined in on this endeavor. Stockdale had been held prisoner since September 1965 when his A-4 Skyhawk went down over North Vietnam and he was taken captive.
Why do we want to take this flag down so bad? Who does it really hurt? It stands for what they believe and they do not want us to forget the missing prisoners of war.
Now to the Confederate Flag story! All would agree with NAACP's Earl Sheinhoster when he made the statement that the flag "represents state sovereignty, state rights and resistance to federal control!" Recently when polls were taken in the two states who fly the battle flag at their capitols; the polls proved that not just a large majority of white citizens (69%) but a sizable minority of black citizens (32% in S. Carolina and 28 % in Alabama) wish to see the flag keep flying and it is not my right to tell them they cannot.
False broadcast about the meaning of this flag has probably caused the figures for both races to be lower. For the Southern tradition, the battle is really not about the flag but about the state sovereignty that was fought under it. Whether you agree with the war or not we should support states rights in general if they are standing with the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Sadly our Federal Government does not stand with those anymore and I don't blame the states for keeping those flags. Heritage and tradition are very important in the South and I believe they will not strike their colors until a constitutionally limited government has been restored. That I stand with them on!
According to law enforcement officials, the Don't Tread on Me flag with the Snake symbol that is displayed most often by militia members and other organizations is "possibly indicative of terrorist or criminal operations."
Then in New Rochelle, New York in 2013 according to the mayor and city council of that town that flag was such an offensive symbol they wanted it taken down right away.at the New Rochelle, New York Amory.
Another example of wishing to get rid of this flag was David Tinney who is the vice president of the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters, the Don't Tread on Me flag is the equivalent of the Confederate flag, and therefore reason to agitate and remove it from the New Haven Fire Department flagpole! They were successful I might add!
UC Irvine student government leader Matthew Guevara decided he felt "unsafe" with the American Flag hanging in the student lounge on campus. He took matters into his own hands and rounded up enough signatures on a resolution to ban the American Flag from a student lounge on campus.
Really, the American Flag makes you feel unsafe! If raising up if an inanimate object like a “flag” makes them feel unsafe in the freest country in the world then some people are indeed stupid and have no backbone.
His parents came from Mexico so if this country is so bad, evil and repressive then why the heck is he here? Oh, yes. He got financial aid. "
Here is a statement from Matthew in answer to the question, "Why not say no to essentially American blood money?" "I don’t really agree with it, but it’s kind of using the tools of the system to bring down the system or create change later on".
There you are, folks. Someone wanting to take the Stars and Stripes down to bring down the system or create change. His money should be jerked from him and he can pay his own way.
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
By MARTIN NIEMÖLLER
This begs the question as to why are we not getting rid of the flags of different countries that are flying in our country in front of the UN building. They are not guests and certainly not citizens. They have been here for years and the UN is mostly funded by this countries' government. The UN flag itself is an evil flag that should be torn down and trampled on if any are to be.