Six months on, Old Glory is flying strong
20 March 2002
Oakland, California
Within a few days of the attacks of September 11, the American flag, often accompanied by the message "United We Stand", became the main symbol which Americans liberally deployed to express their patriotism, their solidarity and their determination not to let the terrorists get the upper hand. Flags flew off the shelves and vendors across the country were reporting shortages. Americans have never been shy in their use of various banners, be it for Easter, Halloween or the 4th of July. But Old Glory could never have imagined it would find so many new uses for itself.
The San Francisco Bay Area has been no exception. I returned in late January after a month's absence to find Old Glory still flying strong, even if a bit faded and tattered in some instances by its long exposure to the elements. The six-month anniversary of the attacks saw a renewed urge to fly the national colours - even more flags have sprouted everywhere since last week.
In all shapes and sizes, it is unfurled from car antennas, stuck on car windows and bumpers, painted on storefronts, printed on clothing, pinned on lapels, sold as cards and earrings. It's hoisted outside homes, rich and poor, and is prominently displayed outside all types of commercial spaces from expensive designer clothes shops to groceries to neighbourhood nail salons and barbers to Napa Valley's wineries. It is plastered on fire engines and garbage trucks, it waves from mailboxes, it flies from flowerpots, it occupies prime advertising space - giant billboards on top of buildings as you drive into San Francisco on the Bay Bridge. Numerous websites promote its use and offer ideas and downloads of printable images, various stores sell stars-and-stripes merchandise.
Not everyone agrees with this widespread use of the national symbol. In a TIME magazine essay entitled "Don't Wear Out Old Glory" (Feb 18, 2002), Michael Elliott protests "the exploitation of patriotic sentiment for private gain" exhibited by many manufacturers who have used the stars and stripes to promote their wares, and concludes: "... to trace and arrest terrorists, the US needs the support of its allies. That help will not come with good grace if Americans demand it as a matter of right. As someone once said, 'If we're an arrogant nation, they'll resent us. If we're a humble nation, but strong, they'll respect us'. That was George W Bush, speaking in a presidential debate on Oct 11, 2000. He was right. Americans' strength of purpose and love of their country is based on something a lot richer than the garish patriotism that now litters our streets and airwaves. It is time to put out fewer flags."
Jonathan V Last writing in The Daily Standard (www.weeklystandard.com) on Jan 8, 2002, is concerned that people do not remember how to treat the flag with appropriate respect and reminds his readers about the Flag Code adopted by Congress in 1942. "With winter finally settling in, the weather should affect our flag flying. It's acceptable to fly your flag outdoors so long as it's an all-weather flag, but as the days get shorter, care should be taken to make sure that the flag is either taken down at dusk or illuminated at night."
Controversy over flying the flag exists in various quarters. Any comment against the use of the flag risks being construed as "unpatriotic". An Egyptian friend reports being reprimanded by his boss for not displaying the flag on his car. Katha Pollitt wrote in The Nation (October 8, 2001) of a disagreement with her daughter who requested that they fly the flag out of their window. "Definitely not, I say: The flag stands for jingoism and vengeance and war. She tells me I'm wrong--the flag means standing together and honoring the dead and saying no to terrorism." Dr Ron Smith, pastor of the Boone United Methodist Church turned down his congregation's request to fly the flag in the sanctuary of his church explaining that "When we worship as Christians, no other symbol should be placed on the same level or above the symbols that point us to God."
But with a record-high support of the current president and his intention to continue the war on terrorism indefinitely, one thing is certain: Old Glory will not be put away any time soon.
* These photographs were taken in the San Francisco Bay Area, primarily Oakland, Berkeley, San Francisco and Walnut Creek, in March 2002.
(They were not included with the Cyprus Weekly article)
