I am the flag of the United States of America.

My name is Old Glory.
I fly atop the world's tallest buildings.
I stand watch in America's halls of justice.
I fly majestically over institutions of learning.
I stand guard with power in the world.
Look up and see me.

I stand for peace, honor, truth and justice.
I stand for freedom. I am confident.
I am arrogant. I am proud.
When I am flown with my fellow banners,
My head is a little higher,
My colors a little truer.
I bow to no one!
I am recognized all over the world.
I am worshipped - I am saluted.
I am loved - I am revered.
I am respected - I am feared.

I have fought in every battle of every war for more than 200 years.
I was flown at Valley Forge, Gettysburg, Shiloh and Appamatox.
I was there at San Juan Hill, the trenches of France, in the Argonne Forest, Anzio, Rome and the beaches of Normandy.
Guam, Okinawa, Korea and KheSan, Saigon, Vietnam know me.
I was there. I led my troops.
I was dirty, battleworn and tired,
but my soldiers cheered me and I was proud.

I have been burned, torn and trampled on the streets of countries
I have helped set free. It does not hurt for I am invincible.
I have been soiled upon, burned, torn and trampled in the streets of my country.
And when it's done by those whom I've served in battle - it hurts.
But I shall overcome - for I am strong.
I have slipped the bonds of earth and
stood watch over the uncharted frontiers of space from my vantage point on the moon.
I have born silent witness to all of America's finest hours.
But my finest hours are yet to come.
When I am torn into strips and used as bandages for my wounded comrades on the battle field,
when I am flown at halfmast to honor my soldier,
or when I lie in the trembling arms of a grieving parent at the grave of their fallen son or daughter,

I am proud.

An amazing poem.
I don't see one single damn word about conservative or liberal in it. Do you?

I read this periodically to center myself. In the grand scheme of life politics are truely unimportant. Differences are truely unimportant. And much more. People are important. Every time I come away remembering I am not conservative, I am not liberal. I am American.

The above poem is important to me and I wanted to share it. Obviously the last piece is a little of how I feel when I am squared away.

I only see one side supporting it..........I see the other side burning it,taking a knee,spitting on it.I lost friends fighting for that flag in far away ugly places for reasons I still cannot explain and nor do I care.I lost Shipmates,fighting under this flag,and that is all that matters.

I really don't **** ing care what happened 200 years ago or 50 years ago.............This is the best country in the world to live in.If you differ I suggest you go live in a few other countries and then maybe you'll have a different view.

Man did I read this title wrong…..I really need to get into my optometrist.

You're cancelled.

It's ALIVE! It's ALIVE!

I don't worship idols and totems like flags or their personification in some cheesy nationalist poetry.

BTW...The flag of the United States of America didn't fly at Valley Forge because there was no United States of America. DUH! #-o
The continental army had all sorts of flags.

^ So if you hate our flag and our chosen way of life why not leave. Whatever form of government you want, which you have never clearly stated will never happen here. In fact if you and others try to overthrow us, you will be convicted of treason and executed. There must be somewhere that your ideology is practiced.

You're confused Spey.
Da flag is a form of government?
Are you one with the flag? Does the flag talk to you?
Who is "us"? The Cult of the Flag?
If I don't worship the flag, like repeat the socialist pledge allegiance to the flag, you know one Nation indivisible and all that I can be convicted of treason and executed?
It all sounds so un-American, more like some dystopian Star Trek episode from the 60's.

🤣

No, no I am not. 1st off the pledge of allegiance is un-American? Secondly read what treason is, at every turn you extol governmental overthrow. Why do you hate America?

trea·son
/ˈtrēzən/
Learn to pronounce
noun
the crime of betraying one's country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government.
"they were convicted of treason"

You verbiage always seems to push for treason by definition.

The USA committed treason against England. And it was 100% justified.

So when our government gets too big (it already is) and attempts are made to overthrow it... it's treason? Or is it the American way?

If a coup is successful it is a new government. If it fails a lot of traitors are executed. Pretty straight up MACS.

Prolly spellcheck?#-o

Sure...it's all franked up.
First off the whole idea of a pledge to the omnipotent state was carved out by socialist Francis Bellamy
The original salute when reciting the Pledge was the "Bellamy Salute" which was exactly the as National Socialists used to salute Hitler and the Italians used to salute Mussolini. It wasn't until WWII started that they figured out that wasn't such good optics and they changed it to the hand over the heart thing.

Read the words carefully, not just repeat them like a drone.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America
and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation
under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

I already covered that pagan ritual of swearing allegiance to a piece of cloth stuff, swearing“allegiance” was a feudal concept denoting subservience to a master...totally un-American.
Now read the "to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation" part. You can be a federated "republic" like the founders designed but you can't be a "Nation" at the same time, most founders detested that idea of a singular "nation". If they wanted a "nation", they would have eliminated the sovereign states. So "Nation" is un-American.

Bouvier’s Law Dictionary (Eighth Edition, 1914, p. 2297), distinguishes between a national and a federal government:

National Government. A government of a single state or nation united as a community by what is termed the social compact and possessing complete and perfect supremacy over persons and things so far as they can be made the lawful objects of civil government. A federal government is distinguished from a national government by its being the government of a community of independent and sovereign states united by compact.

The "God" part, that didn't occur to anybody to add that until after WWII to differentiate the U.S. from those godless commie countries.

The "indivisible" part is un-American in itself, it refutes the Principles of '76 in the Declaration of Independence.

Do I have to teach you everything? Your definition is un-American! 🤬
You are stuck in that nationalist codswallop that makes you believe that your country is some amorphous blob centered in Washington D.C.
un-American! un-American! un-American!

Treason is the only crime defined in the U.S. Constitution. According to Article III, Section 3

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

Do you know who "them" and "their" are referring too? They are the individual sovereign states of the republic. So for instance, if Joe Biden invaded any state with armed federal goons, he could be easily convicted with treason.
Actually, he could be convicted of treason right now by "adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.", if his
co-conspirators weren't controlling the House and the Senate.

MACS understands. [hug]

That's right, the colonial confederates according to the view of King George and most of the Parliament were committing

Treason! and Insurrection! and just generally bad subjects that dropped their allegiance to the Crown