Whose Flag Is It, Anyway?
Have you seen the bumper stickers or T-shirts that read: “If this flag offends you, I’ll help you pack”?
That slogan says a lot. It takes one of our most unifying national symbols and turns it into a litmus test. The implication is clear: This flag is ours, not yours. If you don’t see America exactly the way we do, you don’t belong here.
But the flag isn’t a membership badge for one political tribe. It’s supposed to belong to all of us.
When we let a narrow slice of the population weaponize the flag as a marker of loyalty, we lose something precious. We start to associate patriotism not with love of country, but with a particular ideology. That’s dangerous.
Patriotism shouldn’t be performative or coercive. It should be an invitation to build a country worthy of that flag. You don’t have to agree with every policy or politician to love America. In fact, sometimes loving your country means pushing it to be better.
The answer isn’t to roll our eyes and walk away. It’s to reclaim the flag for all Americans. Because the flag doesn’t belong to the loudest voices telling you to leave if you disagree. It belongs to every single one of us who is willing to stay and fight for a more perfect union.