REFER TO GREY: Contemplations by Robert Greigos © 2007-2024

I hate to say this, but I think it time the US gave serious consideration to ditching its flag for something new. It doesn’t mean the same things as it used to. It’s meaning has been perverted, abused, co-opted, stepped on, smeared with pooh, mocked, defaced, and waved flauntingly in the face of people who have dedicated their lives to, even died for, ideals it once represented. Only days beyond our nation’s celebration of its founding, July 4 1776, some of us have grown literally ashamed to see the symbol of our nation brazenly waved by people whose sense of its meaning bears little resemblance to our flag’s significance as we have come to know it.

Some look at the white stripes of our flag and imagine it celebrates skin color. Therefore, no black, brown, yellow, or red skinned people should ever be allowed full membership within our society, no matter what the Supreme Court prescribes within its rulings.

Some look at the red stripes of our flag and conclude it celebrates sacrifice our soldiers have made, but at the same time, they ignore the folly our nation has too often engaged in, wasting the blood of its soldiers. They ignore the obstinate self-serving stupidity of leaders who have propagated such folly. And, they ignore the ignorance and complacency our citizens have displayed in choosing to participate or not.

Some look at the field of blue upon our flag and conclude it represents a nation bound by ideas born solely within Christianity, excluding all other faiths and religions as bogus. And many of those same individuals would also pervert the writings of their own hallowed Christianity in order to deny truth derived directly from controlled interaction with the natural world God himself has created.

Some look at the field of stars representing our many states and conclude they celebrate individual accomplishment, membership in a club of elites, just like stars on the sidewalks of Hollywood celebrate the accomplishments of individual actors and actresses. Entirely lost on those same individuals is the notion of community, wherein interdependence and mutual reliance form a network of wellbeing far stronger and more resilient than any individual could possibly provide.

No, I think the ideas broadcast today by our nation’s flag have become so confused and perverted that far less than a majority of our people even share the same understanding of what it represents. I’d guess that to be a very dangerous development for the future of our nation. It portends we have entered a period not unlike the story in the Bible where workers building the infamous Tower of Babel abandoned the project as it became clear no one spoke a language the other could understand and, therefore, workers could not agree on what to do next.

NPR did its annual reading of the Declaration of Independence the other day and scores of ignorant so called “patriots” called in or tweeted to complain NPR was advocating for the violent overthrow of the Trump administration. Sad, very sad. And yet, very telling of the kind of times we live in. Babble babble and more babble, untethered by an appreciation of what it takes to find, recognize, and work within the realities of truth is pushing our flag’s many interdependent stars farther and farther apart. And possibly, very soon, the fabric beneath our flag’s field of blue, originally representing vigilance, perseverance, and justice, all concepts dependent upon a shared understanding and appreciation of truth, will shred.

Perhaps a group reeducation on the meaning of our flag is in order?? Or maybe, we just need a new flag, with significance we all understand.

Fat chance that will happen, though. I suspect not even an “America First” flag on a field of glistening gold would garner a majority of votes. And, I suppose, we could thank our lucky stars for that.

Belated Happy Birthday, America, even though you are beginning to shred.