Category: American Flag

The picture captured atop Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima, showing four soldiers attempting to raise the American flag, has arguably become one of the most famous photographs in United States history. Captured by Joel Rosenthal, the patriotic image was taken on February 23, 1945. ‘Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima’ has been featured on everything from stamps to even statues. Rightfully, the photograph immediately became synonymous with American soldiers as it represents unity, pride, and bravery. Joel Rosenthal’s photograph, ‘Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima’, was the second flag-raising picture captured atop Mount Suribachi that day. The original photo was considerably less appealing; this is because the flag was short, small, and accompanied by more armed soldiers. Also, the flag was already erect, which took away from the true meaning Joel Rosenthal strived to capture. ‘Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima’ is a compelling piece of propaganda that promotes the American ideals of unity, pride, and bravery through the use of color, symbol, and structure.

‘Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima’ uses lines, structure, and color to display the intended theme of the photograph. Most notably, the American flag forms the most prominent lines in the image. The pole in which the soldiers appear to be raised is essential to the photo because it shows movement. The four soldiers appear to be raising the flag, which shows victory and triumph over the Japanese. The vertical lines that are portrayed by the stature of the soldiers also help distinguish between lowering the flag, which indicates a defeat and raising the flag, which suggests a victory. The vertical lines displayed in the soldiers also represents the strength of both the soldiers and the United States. If they were shown slouching, they would have looked defeated, and the flag wouldn’t be able to be portrayed as being raised. The horizontal lines formed in the surrounding environment, adds a more relaxed and tranquil look to the image. Despite the photo being taken preceding the deadliest war in human history, the relaxed feeling emphasizes that the war is over. ‘Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima’ was captured in black and white with several values of gray. Black and white fit the emotions the photo is attempting to display. Black is a color that is associated with mourning, and this was a time of anguish and misery for Americans who suffered a loss of nearly 6,500 soldiers. The color gray is associated with sorrow, and although it is a victorious time for the Americas, the war was not a joyous time. Gray symbolizes security, which has been secured through the victory at Iwo Jima.

One must first come to know the violent climate from which it took place to adequately understand the impact this photo had on the lives of men and women throughout the world in 1945. The Second World War was fought mainly in Europe, Eastern Asia, and the Pacific Ocean. In February 1945, what would become by far history’s deadliest conventional war had been raging for roughly six years when the Allied forces planned to close in on the Axis forces comprising Germany, Italy, and Japan. Iwo Jima was tactically crucial to the Allied powers because it would allow the Allied forces to facilitate sea and air blockades that would further cripple the war effort of the Japanese. Recognizing that if the Allied troops were to capture the island, the defeat of the Japanese would be imminent, the Japanese were prepared to sacrifice everything to hold Iwo Jima. The 36 hard-fought days at Iwo Jima resulted in over 26,500 wounded in which 6,800 of those losing their lives. 18,500 Japanese soldiers lost their lives as a result of the fight that took place in Iwo Jima, leaving only 1,500 of the 20,000 Japanese defenders alive.

The image utilizes the rhetorical demonstration of pathos to relate the image with the American values of unity, pride, and bravery and to provoke these emotions within all that examine the image. The picture supports the concept of unity by presenting the soldiers working together to raise their nation’s flag. All the soldiers in the picture, working towards a shared goal, promotes unity. The image also reinforces the notion of pride because the soldiers are raising an American flag, which red stripes of which may appear to describe the spilled blood, which provides a lead way into the notion of bravery. The picture promotes bravery because even amid the violent battle, these valiant soldiers defend and promote their country and the interests of Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who attested to the bravery of soldiers at Iwo Jima by saying that ‘among the Americans who served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor was a common virtue’.

‘Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima’ effectively evokes the American values of unity, pride, and bravery in American men and women who view his famous photograph. The soldiers represented in the flag-raising picture help to promote these qualities by collectively striving to raise the American flag during a fierce battle in which they could have easily lost their lives. When Rosenthal’s image combined with the fact that 6,800 Americans gave up their lives during the Battle, the values mentioned become more evident. For those who view ‘Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima’, the photograph serves as a powerful tool for provoking the feelings of unity, pride, and bravery through the use of color, structure, and symbols.

I have chosen ‘American and Their Flag’ as my research topic. This topic was inspired by the actions of Colin Kapernick’s remaining seated for the national anthem. The topic conveys different symbols of patriotism. I researched this topic by utilizing Cornell Law School U.S. Code 301 as a resource. This code states that the law does not require anyone to stand. Upon reading the articles, it is my opinion that Colin Kapernick’s actions of kneeling during the national anthem was not inappropriate. In my viewpoint Colin Kapernick expression to the flag was not disrespectful, and I base my claim on the following articles: ‘Symbols Pledge Allegiance to Principles’ by Rashad Robinson, ‘The Emotional Attachment of National Symbols’ by Cynthia Miller-Idris, and ‘An American Value I Fought to Defend’ by Brian Adams Jones.

‘Symbols Pledge Allegiance to Principles’ by Rashad Robinson bases his article on how Kapernick views the flag as a symbol that does not represent him as an African-American. The article is referring to Kapernick standing against injustice in America for African American people. Based upon this article, Kapernick views the flag as a representation of equality among all people, which is not portrayed in society. The article’s focus has been on his actions instead of the reason behind his actions. This article brings awareness that there are a great number of people who have a lack of respect for the viewpoint of others especially if that viewpoint is different than the norm. Subsequently, with Kapernicks actions, kneeling during the national anthem there has been a lot of nationwide emotional backlash because of this.

‘The Emotional Attachment of National Symbols’ by Cynthia Miller-Idris bases her article on the belief of emotional backlash of people and the national symbols. The article indicates that the national symbols should be respected but just like anything else respect can be displayed in different ways as well as challenged. The national symbols are a representation for Americans to see one another through the same commonality. We are all Americans, therefore we all should be treated equally no matter our race or gender. Some Americans are not speaking out about the indifferences that are being faced in this nation. They are not aware of the fact that their silence will only result in the same repercussions as Kapernick. In this article Cynthia Miller- Idris indicates that the national anthem is often challenged, and that Colin Kapernick stance for not standing for the national anthem is a part of history that is repeating itself. Futhermore, Colin Kapernick was practicing one of our country’s greatest amendment, freedom of speech.

‘An American Value I Fought to Defend’ by Brian Adams Jones bases his article on his experience in the military. The article points out the views as it relates to the American symbols of an American citizen that served in the military. Mr. Jones points out that Kapernick is within his rights to voice his opinion about the American Symbol. Mr. Jones himself, questioned his values as it relates to the American symbol as an African American male and as an American that has gone to war for America. The flag itself is a symbol of freedom as a whole and should invoke Americans to respect that freedom being displayed in different ways. In addition, people should respect others and their views of the national symbols.

In conclusion, after reading these articles, true respect for the national symbols are earned based on an individual’s knowledge, experiences, and culture. Patriotism and national symbols earn respect and are respected or viewed based on that person’s understanding and views of America’s history. Americans should not assume that everyone shows respect in the same manner, nor should you ridicule others for taking a stand in what they believe in. Kapernick was not showing disrespect towards the American flag, he was just exercising his right to justify his opinion toward the flag. Because we are Americans we can practice our freedom of speech and should be allowed without penalty to display it.

Application #1 – Master Symbols

Part 1: Analyzing Three Posters

Poster #1:

• Q: What are the names of the posters that you selected? (Copy and paste the links to the posters in your submission)
• A: When You Ride Alone, You Ride With Hitler! https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/powers_of_persuasion/use_it_up/images_html/ride_with_hitler.html
• Q: Describe the imagery used in each poster. What text is included in the poster? What figures appear and what are they doing? What colors are used?
• A: In this poster, a man is depicted driving his car with a white outline of Adolf Hitler sitting next to him. The poster reads, “When you ride ALONE you ride with Hitler!” and “Join a Car-Sharing Club TODAY!” I would attribute this propaganda poster to the gasoline regulations during World War II, encouraging (and almost demanding) that citizens should join a car-sharing club to save more gasoline than necessary. If citizens aren’t willing to do this, then this poster essentially paints them as Nazi sympathizers and traitors. The colors in this poster don’t reveal much imagery; however, the white outline of Hitler sitting next to the man illustrates that those who don’t join a car-sharing club support him and the Nazi cause.
• Q: What specific symbols used in each poster would you consider to be master symbols? What emotions might these symbols evoke from audiences?
• A: In terms of images that I’d consider to be “master symbols,” I’d mainly choose Adolf Hitler’s uniform and the Iron Cross medal. As a medal commonly warn by German soldiers during World War II (in addition to the Swastika, although it’s not depicted in this image), I would assume this symbol would most likely evoke fear and emotional unrest from audiences, particularly Americans who resisted fascism.
• Q: How do these symbols promote pro-democratic (white) propaganda?
• A: Since so many Americans would’ve associated the Iron Cross with Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany, it would most likely persuade Americans to join a car-sharing club, if they haven’t already. And because the U.S. was trying to resist Nazism and fascism, this poster would define a democratic citizen as one who carpools with others to save gasoline and promote pro-American values.

Poster #2:

• Q: What are the names of the posters that you selected? (Copy and paste the links to the posters in your submission)
• A: Keep These Hands Off! https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/powers_of_persuasion/warning/images_html/keep_these_hands_off.html
• Q: Describe the imagery used in each poster. What text is included in the poster? What figures appear and what are they doing? What colors are used?
• A: In this poster, a woman and her perceived child are being reached for by two monstrous hands, one depicting a Nazi-Germany Swastika and another a Japanese Rising Sun. The poster reads, “Keep these hands off!” and “Buy the new victory bonds.” The colors used in this poster are blue, black, white, and red. While there are very few colors, their purpose is to evoke an emotional response from viewers, which is why blue (which could possibly illustrate sadness) would be used.
• Q: What specific symbols used in each poster would you consider to be master symbols? What emotions might these symbols evoke from audiences?
• A: Every image in this poster would want to evoke fear from an audience, but the Nazi-Germany Swastika and the Japanese Rising Sun would be considered master symbols. They would most likely provoke fear and hatred, considering those are the primary images associated with enemy nations during World War II. The image of the woman protecting her child could also be used to invoke fear, prompting viewers to fear for the safety of their wives and children from Germany and Japan.
• Q: How do these symbols promote pro-democratic (white) propaganda?
• A: Since so many people feared a German or Japanese global takeover, this piece of propaganda wanted to evoke an emotional/patriotic response from men that have wives and children. The whole notion that “these nations are coming for your wives and children” was a surefire way to persuade patriotic young men to join the armed forces and take the fight to both Germany and Japan.

Poster #3:

• Q: What are the names of the posters that you selected? (Copy and paste the links to the posters in your submission)
• A: He’s Watching You https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/powers_of_persuasion/hes_watching_you/images_html/hes_watching_you.html
• Q: Describe the imagery used in each poster. What text is included in the poster? What figures appear and what are they doing? What colors are used?
• A: In this poster, a dark and eerie figure is shown, glancing over an obstacle. There are lots of dark colors, such as black, gray, and dark blue to symbolize the importance of secrecy and carefulness. The poster reads, “He’s watching you,” illustrating the importance of national security during World War II and emphasizing the importance of awareness.
• Q: What specific symbols used in each poster would you consider to be master symbols? What emotions might these symbols evoke from audiences?
• A: While there aren’t any specific hostile images associated with this poster, the image of a spy would be perceived as a master symbol because it would cause citizens to be more hesitant to share information that could compromise national security. Throughout these propaganda posters, all of them seem to be designed to invoke fear from their targeted audience, which would be normal, everyday, law-abiding American citizens.
• Q: How do these symbols promote pro-democratic (white) propaganda?
• A: The idea of foreign spies infiltrating the United States would probably be terrifying enough to most people; however, the scenario in which a spy was listening to your conversations, waiting to hear compromising information would be enough to scare citizens into staying silent. While this image seems simple and somewhat factual, this piece of propaganda would promote pro-democratic ideas of loyalty by effectively scaring citizens into submission.

Part 2: How Master Symbols Have Affected Me

Out of all the master symbols, I can think of, I’d choose the American flag, a bald eagle, and the Statue of Liberty. From a young age, I was taught through school and by family that these are the most iconic American symbols. It became more evident when I began to see people hanging American flags outside their homes, having bald eagle statues in their front yards or paintings in their homes, or how the Statue of Liberty is almost always included in American-themed artwork and clothing. Furthermore, it’s also common to see two or all three of these master symbols together, whether that be on a t-shirt or artwork.

When I became older, these symbols became more frequently used, especially on Patriot Day, or what others refer to as September 11 Remembrance Day. During middle school, we’d often watch tribute videos of the former World Trade Center and those who perished that tragic day. While watching these tributes, a depiction of the American flag blowing in the wind seemed to be a common reoccurrence. At the time, I never thought much of it. But as a high school and college student, I often saw these videos as a form of white propaganda. These images were specifically designed to continuously and repeatedly invoke feelings of fear, patriotism, and American superiority. In fact, many of today’s xenophobic predispositions of Middle Eastern immigrants were a direct bi-product of videos that included these master symbols, even though the Statue of Liberty represents diversity and the supposed “welcoming” nature of the United States.

Because I consider these 9/11 remembrance videos as a form of white propaganda, these master symbols, to me, have already been used in previous propaganda campaigns. Although I don’t find myself feeling patriotic or superior when watching these videos, I once did as a middle school student. For a modern-day propaganda campaign to be successful, the creators should incorporate the American flag, a bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty, or a combination of all three, while also appealing to the viewers’ emotions. Propaganda campaigns are often most successful when they stimulate emotional discomfort, and they come off as pro-democratic (white propaganda) as opposed to gray or black.

Colin Kaepernick is without a doubt one of the most controversial people in today’s society. Kaepernick is most famous for his decision to take a knee during the National Anthem before an NFL football game. While everyone else was standing and supporting the flag, he sat/kneeled down. He chose to do so because he thought he was making a stand against “racial injustice.” He said that he was not going to stand up for a country that disrespects people of color. He made a huge deal out of it and immediately started getting attention. He continued to kneel before every game and influenced many players and even fans to do the same. For his so-called “heroic” acts Kaepernick has won the Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award, Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award, and was the face of a recent Nike campaign. Although some people might claim Colin Kaepernick had a negative impact on society because of his disrespect to the American flag, he has had more of a positive influence on society by fighting against racial segregation and giving quality entertainment to football fans.

To begin with, Colin Kaepernick can be said to have a negative impact on society because of his disrespect shown to the American flag. Many people found Colin Kaepernick’s kneel during the National Anthem to be very disrespectful to both the country and the people who fight for it. One of these people being the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, Drew Brees, who said “He can speak out about a very important issue. But there’s plenty of other ways that you can do that in a peaceful manner that doesn’t involve being disrespectful to the American flag.”(Mather) This quote from Brees shows that some people were not so much angry about Kaepernick’s actions, but most certainly bothered by it. Brees says that the issue is important so it is somewhat justified to do something about it, but he went too far and showed much disrespect. Another person who spoke out about this topic was former NY Giants receiver, Victor Cruz. Cruz says ‘You got to respect the flag, and you got to stand up with your teammates. It’s bigger than just you, in my opinion.”(Wyche) This shows that Kaepernick’s actions not only showed disrespect but were also considered selfish to others.

Next, although some say Kaepernick negatively impacted society, many people believe that he has had a positive influence on others by showing them how to stand up for their rights. In Reid’s article in The Undefeated, he says this about Kaepernick. “He determined that being on the right side of history and using his platform to try to effect social change was more important to him than simply toeing the line to keep his job. It’s called being a leader.” This shows that people looked up to Kaepernick and respected him for his courageous act. It also shows that Kaepernick is a deserving leader because he is willing to put his job on the line to fight for what he believes is right. In the same article Reid also says “He knew his form of protest would be wildly unpopular with many fans. Kaepernick understood that if he kneeled to stand up for others, he would become a target.” Kaepernick not only knows that many people will disagree with him but respects that and is still willing to challenge them. By standing up for others and sacrificing everything he had, Kaepernick had gained a lot of respect both on and off the football field.

Furthermore, Kaepernick was respected by many because of his ability to entertain on the football field. Many people love watching quality football games and it seemed like every time Kaepernick took the field that was provided. “He then remained the team’s starting quarterback for the rest of the season, leading the team to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1994. During the 2013 season, his first full season as a starter, Kaepernick helped the 49ers reach the NFC Championship Game.”(Wikipedia) This quote shows that when Kaepernick took over the starting role, he immediately had a huge effect on the 49er’s success. He turned them from being a below-average team in the league to being back-to-back Super Bowl contenders in the matter of just two seasons. Wikipedia also said that “With his performance, he set an NFL single-game record for most rushing yards by a quarterback.” This shows that Kaepernick was a successful player who was fun to watch.

Although Colin Kaepernick showed disrespect to the American flag, he’s mainly seen as a positive person because of his stand against racial segregation and his ability to provide entertainment through the game of football. By his actions, Kaepernick encourages people to stand up and fight for what they believe in. This will impact how people deal with their problems and will certainly change the future. Without his actions, people would definitely think differently and the world would not be the same.

Examining the persuasive approach of Visual and Verbal Rhetoric in Political Poster

We the People art campaign came into existence around the time of Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States. The street artist Shepard Fairey who is known for his famous Obama Hope poster is the one who is behind the series of We the People art. The poster art campaign started due to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign provoked disturbing emotions in the entire nation, especially among Native Americans, Muslims, Latinas, and African Americans that felt their needs and identities under Trump’s administration would be ignored and questioned. As highlighted the importance of political posters is “ephemeral, and their very existence speaks to the urgency of the present moment.” (Benson, 29), these art posters purposely portray different cultural identities as visual icons with impressive slogans/taglines as linguistic means of conveying a persuasive message of unity and freedom to audiences about the growing situation of fear among certain communities. The use of words and image works as a symbolic tool to induce persuasion in a receptive audience. The action called for these posters to act as a collective speech shows that posters comprise visual pieces of rhetoric (striking pieces of image with intriguing slogans) evoking the audience to take action as a unified nation despite of partisan gridlock, different religious norms, and cultural differences: “Where collective speech is evoked, it is not that of a conspiracy or a mob but the action of peaceful citizens exercising democratic responsibility” (Benson, 71) This case study aims to explain that how combined power of visual and verbal in rhetorical situation conveys a persuasive message in political poster.

These posters are loosely based on Obama Hope poster while not adapting it directly but just an imitation of the actual picture. The specific target for this assignment is one of the art posters of a Muslim woman wearing a headscarf of American flag. The image was taken by a photographer whose initial purpose was to promote a sense of patriotism at a time when women were abused and publicly called terrorists for their Muslim identity. As “Image comes to life in material support.” (Greis, 10), Fairey reincarnated this image for his poster with agenda to spread the collective sense of freedom, and unity despite of different cultural appearances under one American Identity. The ethos and designer target the entire nation and mediums like newspapers, and street walls to remind them to pay attention to save the coming youth from the feeling of abandonment in this country: “posters pasted up on walls of the street has potential to become makeshift forums to distribute ideas”(Wilson, 165) Images and Typography have an impact on how we see the words and read the images.

The image of a woman with a headscarf covered in all the colors of American flag in the poster can be interpreted as a general photograph whose main purpose is to highlight Muslims as an integral part of this country. But with the addition of words, broader the vision and gave meaning to the image: “When combining words and images together, they interpret each other” (Benson). The top phrase “We the people” encourages ‘everyone’ in this country and persuades the viewer to see entire nation in that image covered with flag colors. With the bottom phrase “are greater than fear” the whole picture acts as a rhetorical objective of how to clearly visualize the phrase. The slogans/phrases act as a description of picture and a guideline of how to read the poster. The poster’s textual and pictorial effect might encourage reader to think of it as an “appeal to inclusion”.

This poster’s hybridstic approach in visual and verbal helps to captivate a collective audience in a national dialogue. The salient visual of Muslim woman is given identity through a head scarf of American flag to fight the rising power of nationalism and intolerance. The verbal are unifying phrases that confirm the uniqueness of visuals by targeting entire American nation, especially assuring Muslims that we all are one nation though we may not look alike by symbolizing American flag as a head scarf. The verbal concludes the true meaning of what the audience can gain from the poster. If the words are taken out from the visuals, it still depicts unified community but with the words, it opens a persuasive dialogue for the audience to look for freedom. The poster’s persuasive approach to public through combining words and images is to help build the ideology of patriotism, and oneness back on which America was founded once.

The visuals and verbal are inherently intertextual, referring to the expected future and call for action.

The primary stylistic features used for this poster is central figure of woman and the usage of predominant colors of blue which shows peace, red which shows passion, and white which reflects purity depicting American values all over the poster, evokes a positive attitude in the viewer just like hope poster. The center-aligned capitalized font and typeface with heavy marginal space is used to highlight the importance of text. The use of a verbal phrase at the top defines the receptive audience and then makes the audience comfortable by a persuasive message in the bottom phrase with big fonts to have faith in their American identity. All the big fonts used indicate that every word instilled in this poster is important and has its own significance.

Political Posters being analyzed upon three approaches: “comparative, inventional, and audience” (Benson, 32), the comparative approach to rhetorical analysis of this poster calls for a direct action of ‘We are America, We don’t fear’ and persuades the nation as a collective group to develop feelings of freedom. The receptive audience are the diverse cultural Americans that the artist seeks to inspire through dialogue and interactive posters. The inventional rhetoric approach is used by artists to get intertextual inspiration from the iconic Obama Hope poster because of its relevance with patriotism and applaud among receiving ends.

Works Cited

1. Wilson, Tom. Paper Walls: Political Posters in an Age of Mass Media. General Collection, 2012
2. Benson, Thomas. W. Posters for Peace: Visual Rhetoric and Civic Action, The Pennsylvania State University, 2015

Flags: what can they communicate?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a flag is “a piece of cloth, usually rectangular and attached to a pole at one edge that has a pattern that represents a country or a group, or has a particular meaning”.

Flags can communicate through the use of different colors, symbols, and shapes; they can identify and communicate different nationalities and ideas, they can generate patriotism and respect for those who fought for the beliefs they express and they can also be used as an alphabet. If a tiny thing of a flag changes, the whole meaning changes consequently.

Nowadays thousands of flags have been adopted to represent political parties, corporations, youth movements, universities, schools, and sporting clubs.

Flags exist from the moment men became sedentary and groups of people began to create their own culture. Men felt the need to unify all these cultural aspects in a graphic way in order to be recognized by other groups, especially on the battlefield. The first prototypes of flags are known as vanilloids. The oldest vexilloids were made of wood, feathers, and parts of animals such as horns, tails, hooves, and skins.

The first vexilloids appeared in the Egyptian world on terracotta and on the tombs of the pharaohs around 3000 BC. The first real flag has been used in China representing the Yellow Emperor, a mythological ancestor of the Chinese around 1500 BC.

Nowadays metalloids are still used by tribes, especially in New Guinea.

There are people who specialized in the design of flags who are known as vexillologists. Their work is to research the symbols, colors, and shapes that make up the elements of a flag, keeping in mind what they want to express. Every choice is not obvious. If we consider the Mexican flag, for example, it is made up of three vertical color sections, green, white, and red, with a Golden Eagle eating a snake in the center. Everything has a meaning: green is hope, white is purity, red is religion and the eagle represents history of the Mexico’s Aztecs. Apart from the Nepal’s flag, which is composed by two triangles that represent Hinduism and Buddhism and the Himalaya Mountains, most flags resemble each other and they all have the same rectangular shape.

Despite all flags are different and, as said before, when a small thing changes the meaning will change: if we take as an example the Mexican flag and remove the symbol of the eagle eating a snake, it can recall the Italian flag.

Also, the flag of Luxembourg and the Netherlands are very similar: both are composed with three sections of horizontal colors in equal sizes; the only thing that changes are the color shades, in the first one the colors are brighter and clearer, while in the second one they are darker.

Other examples of flags that look alike are Indonesia and Poland, Ireland and Cote d’Ivoire, Australia and New Zealand, and Texas and Chile. The job of vexillologists is very important because in their works they have to graphically describe concepts with mainly the use of colors: blue represents water and consequently, this color is present in the flags of nations bathed by oceans, yellow represents the sun and we find it, especially in African and equatorial flags, green can symbolize the land and agriculture as in the Jamaican flag. This means that flags are not just a piece of cloth, they can symbolize the history of a nation and how they conquered independence, their values ​​of the present, or their goals for the future.

Before 2002, Antarctica did not have a flag but thanks to the British vexillologist Graham Bartram it now has an official one. The flag consists of the shape of Antarctica in white surrounded by a light blue background; the blue represents not only the oceans but at the same time neutrality. It is incorporated to symbolize the territorial conflicts for the domain of the land between the United Kingdom, Chile, and Argentina.

Flags have the power to unify people: those who wave a flag do that because they truly believe in what it represents and in its values. Flags are something so close to people’s hearts that they would risk their lives for it. Especially in the past, displaying a flag in a foreign occupation was considered an offense punishable by death.

The destruction or a particular use of a flag is considered one of the most outrageous acts against the first emblem of the state. This is known as flag desecration which is forbidden in almost every country except for Belgium and Canada where there are no laws prohibiting these actions. Meanwhile, in the United States, there are no laws against these acts because they would go against the freedom of speech expressed in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The US flag is a very important symbol for Americans. In fact, during the American Civil War, Captain George Thatcher Balch composed the Pledge of Allegiance which expresses the allegiance to the flag of the United States and its Republic. The recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance is regularly scheduled in schools of almost every state of the nation.

Throughout the course of history, there have been a lot of memorable moments which involved flags. One of these moments was captured by the photographer Joe Rosenthal. In this photo, there are represented American soldiers raising the US flag on top of Mount Suribachi symbolizing their victory over the Japanese in the Second World War.

In the First World War, the national flag and the flags of the Allies were displayed together in most of the countries. The message of this action was very clear: we share enemies and we will fight together, side by side, against them.

Talking about war, there are two main flags that have a very important message that can be tracked back to roman times: the white flag and the black flag.

Waving a white flag on a battlefield it is recognized as a sincere sign of desire of a truce, asking for communication and negotiation. On the other hand, showing a black flag means that people have no intentions to surrender or ask for a truce, but are ready to fight until the end.

Another iconic moment in American history that involved a flag, was on the 21st of July of 1969 when Neil Armstrong right after his speech “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” planted the US flag on the moon’s surface.

Everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and feelings. The first amendment was made to allow people to say and do what they want however now, people are starting to take advantage of it by disrespecting the country. They are taking privilege of the first amendment and using it freely to burn the flag in disgrace. Many people disagree about whether burning the American flag in protest is constitutionally protected and okay or not. Both sides have their reasons, though one may argue that burning the flag is wrong and still believe that wearing the flag on clothing is permissible. If one wears the flag on their clothing it is typically because they are representing their country for how great it is, not to show hate for it, but the burning of the American flag in protest is disgraceful and should not be permitted by law.

For the abrupt people in the world who would disrespect the flag in these ways gives the reason to make a law prohibiting it but also makes it unfair for the ones who just want to show support of it. According to the U.S. code, it states, ¨The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise¨ (U.S Code). I believe that the flag should stay off the floor, placed in a proper location, or hung on a flagpole, and be given special care and respect. Any mistreatment of the flag is disrespectful except wearing it for pride. I think that having the flag engraved onto merchandise or clothing should be aloud if it is for the right reasons.

If flag desecration starts to get way out of hand and happens more often, then it should be addressed as a state issue. If it starts happening a lot in one place than it is likely it will begin to appear all over.

Say flag desecration were to pass as law and be illegal, then more people would

Everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and feelings. The first amendment was made to allow people to say and do what they want however now, people are starting to take advantage of it by disrespecting the country. They are taking privilege of the first amendment and using it freely to burn the flag in disgrace. Many people disagree about whether burning the American flag in protest is constitutionally protected and okay or not. Both sides have their reasons, though one may argue that burning the flag is wrong and still believe that wearing the flag on clothing is permissible. If one wears the flag on their clothing it is typically because they are representing their country for how great it is, not to show hate for it, but the burning of the American flag in protest is disgraceful and should not be permitted by law.

For the abrupt people in the world who would disrespect the flag in these ways gives the reason to make a law prohibiting it but also makes it unfair for the ones who just want to show support of it. According to the U.S. code, it states, ¨The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise¨ (U.S Code). I believe that the flag should stay off the floor, placed in a proper location, or hung on a flagpole, and be given special care and respect. Any mistreatment of the flag is disrespectful except wearing it for pride. I think that having the flag engraved onto merchandise or clothing should be aloud if it is for the right reasons.

If flag desecration starts to get way out of hand and happen more often, then it should be addressed as a state issue. If it starts happening a lot in one place than it is likely it will begin to appear all over.

Say flag desecration were to pass as law and be illegal, then more people would consider doing it as a larger protest. It would catch more attention than it would being legal so one would get the attention they desire to get their view across. This would then lead to big commotions in society and different beliefs and thoughts on whether it’s right or wrong. No matter where you live, you should respect the surrounding property, disagreeing with something is one thing, taking an important part of someone’s culture and mistreating it is another. When Johnson protested, it passed and made some be outraged which increased the burning of the American flag. Though I believe many people will be offended by the burning of the American flag, I don’t think making it illegal is the right choice.

The U.S. code states,” The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning” (U.S. Code). This is explaining, if you happen to use a flag in any other way than on a flag pole then you should burn it in a good manner. Burning it in a “dignified” way is just the same as burning it in protest. Nothing is supposed touch the flag and it says if anything happens to it, such as a tear, or dirt, then it should be burnt. The military has a flag with them, all sorts of things can happen that flag, is that also against the flag code? I would say it is fine if something happens to your flag as it is being displayed for a good cause. Flag code shouldn’t go against anyone who is simply representing their country whether they are wearing the flag on clothing, merchandise, or they just have a worn-out flag. It means they are proud of their nation and are willing to show it, no one should ever be in the wrong for doing so.

Introduction

The American flag is a symbol that evokes a sense of pride, unity, and patriotism. Its iconic design and vibrant colors have come to represent the values and ideals of the United States of America. In this informative essay, we will explore the rich symbolism behind the American flag and what it truly stands for.

Body

The Stars and Stripes

The American flag consists of thirteen horizontal stripes alternating between red and white, representing the original thirteen colonies. These stripes symbolize the unity and resilience of the states, reminding us of the foundations on which our nation was built. The blue field in the upper left corner, known as the canton, features fifty white stars representing each state in the union. The stars symbolize the unity, strength, and diversity of the American people.

Freedom and Independence

The American flag stands as a powerful symbol of freedom and independence. It represents the hard-fought battles and sacrifices made by the men and women who fought for the nation’s independence. The flag reminds us of the fundamental rights and liberties enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, such as freedom of speech, religion, and assembly. It serves as a constant reminder of the ideals that our country was founded upon and the ongoing pursuit of freedom for all.

Courage and Sacrifice

The American flag is a tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the military members who have served and continue to serve our country. It serves as a symbol of honor, courage, and dedication to protecting the values and freedoms we hold dear. The flag stands tall at military bases, memorials, and cemeteries, reminding us of the selfless acts of our servicemen and women who have fought and sometimes made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our nation.

Unity and Diversity

The American flag is a unifying symbol that brings together people from various backgrounds and cultures. It represents the diversity and multiculturalism that make up the fabric of American society. The flag stands as a reminder that, despite our differences, we are united as one nation, bound by a common purpose and shared values. It represents the strength derived from embracing our differences and working together towards a better future.

Hope and Resilience

The American flag is a symbol of hope and resilience, especially during times of adversity. It has been a source of inspiration for countless individuals, reminding them of the indomitable spirit of the American people. Whether it be through wars, natural disasters, or social challenges, the flag represents the unwavering resolve to overcome obstacles and emerge stronger as a nation.

The American Dream

The American flag embodies the ideals of the American Dream—a belief that every individual has the opportunity to achieve success, prosperity, and happiness through hard work and determination. It represents the promise of a better life, the pursuit of happiness, and the belief in the limitless potential of every American citizen.

Conclusion

The American flag is a powerful symbol that encompasses the values, history, and aspirations of the United States. It stands for freedom, independence, courage, unity, diversity, hope, and resilience. It is a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who came before us and a symbol of the ongoing pursuit of a more perfect union. The flag serves as a source of inspiration, reminding us of the rights and freedoms we hold dear and the responsibility we have to uphold the principles upon which our nation was built. As we gaze upon the American flag, let us reflect on its meaning and strive to live up to the ideals it represents.

Introduction

The American Flag is a symbol of freedom, unity and sacrifice that has been used to represent the United States of America since the late 1700s. It is a powerful symbol of the nation’s history, values, and principles. As an American citizen, I believe that it is important to honor and respect the American Flag, which is why I am writing this essay to discuss why I believe it is important to honor the American Flag. This essay will discuss the historical and personal significance of the American Flag.

The Meaning of the American Flag

It stands for the values of our nation and the ideals of democracy. It is a symbol of hope and perseverance in the face of adversity. When we look upon the American Flag, we are reminded of the courage and bravery of our heroes, the strength and resilience of our people, and the power of our democracy.

Reasons Why I Honor the American Flag

Symbol of Freedom

I honor the American Flag because it is a symbol of the freedom we hold so dear. It is a reminder of the sacrifices our forefathers made to ensure that we can enjoy the privileges of life in the United States.

Symbol of Unity

The stars and stripes of the flag represent the values of democracy, unity, and justice that have been embraced by generations of Americans. It is a reminder that we are all equal, regardless of our race, gender, or religion.

Symbol of Sacrifice

The flag also stands for the strength of our people and the courage of our people. It is a representation of our shared history, our shared values, and our shared dreams. The American flag is a testament to the ideals of liberty and justice that are at the heart of our country.

Historical Significance of the American Flag

Revolutionary War

The American flag holds a special place in the hearts of many Americans. Its historical significance dates back to the Revolutionary War, when it was first used to represent the newly formed United States of America. During the Revolutionary War, the American flag was flown to show the strength and unity of the fledgling nation. The flag is a tangible reminder of the hard-won independence of the United States of America and serves as a reminder to all citizens of the sacrifices made to secure freedom.

World War I

The American Flag holds tremendous historical and national significance, particularly in relation to World War I. The American Flag was flown proudly during WWI as a symbol of patriotism and the nation’s strength. It represented the courage, strength, and perseverance of the American soldiers whose sacrifices helped bring peace, liberty, and prosperity to Europe and the United States. The Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem of the United States, was composed in honor of the Flag and its significance during WWI. It was a symbol of the courage and commitment of the American soldiers.

World War II

During World War II, the flag became a powerful symbol of American resilience and determination in the face of adversity. As the nation mobilized to fight in the global conflict, the flag was a reminder of the freedoms that the country was fighting to protect. It was a sign of national unity, with citizens of all backgrounds proudly displaying their patriotism by displaying the flag. The flag was also seen on the battlefields, flown by the brave soldiers who were risking their lives for their country. The American flag’s historical significance during World War II can still be felt today, with the flag’s iconic red, white, and blue still standing for the same ideals of courage and unity.

Personal Significance of the American Flag

The American flag stands for freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to pursue our own individual dreams and aspirations. It is a reminder of the sacrifices that our veterans have made to protect these rights. Through honoring the flag, we can pay tribute to those who have served and those who continue to serve our country. Furthermore, honoring the flag helps to keep alive the memory of our country’s history and heritage.

I believe our flag is more than just cloth and ink. It is a universally recognized symbol that stands for liberty, and freedom. It is the history of our nation, and it’s marked by the blood of those who died defending it. Standing for the National Anthem is a small way for people to pay their respects to those who have served or lost their lives for our freedoms. There have been many that have sided with those who have kneeled, but they failed to realize the utter disrespect and impact they are having on this country and its veterans as well as current service men and women.

The movement for kneeling during the National Anthem was formulated by former quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, Colin Kaepernick. The reasoning behind this movement was to protest against and raise awareness of police brutality and racism. In the year 2016, 200 NFL players kneeled in support of this movement.

In this country, the flag is the symbol of liberty, faith, and courage, and reminds us of the past sacrifices that were made to make this country into the great one it is today.

I have studied the reasoning behind kneeling and the causes for police brutality and racism for hours, looking at articles discussing both sides of the matter, watching NFL games, and debating with people that have a different viewpoint as myself. First I will argue why you should not use the National Anthem and the flag as the target for your protests and how it is disrespectful and the effects it had, as well as touching on how police brutality is rarely the cops fault. Second, I will discuss the opposing sides argument as to why kneeling for the National Anthem was justifiable and how they believe cops are to blame for the death of these citizens. Lastly, I will counterargue the opposing side, exposing their flaws and showing why my argument is stronger

Why kneeling is disrespectful towards our armed forces and veterans and how it negatively affected the NFL’s ratings, as well as causing aggression towards cops? Kneeling for the National Anthem has caused the NFL a great deal of money back in 2017 when ticket sales dropped 17.9% on TickPick and 31% on Ticket City. The NFLs TV ratings also plunged by 11% in viewership. In a survey by NBC News, asking the public if kneeling was an appropriate way to protest, the majority of the pubic voted in favor of the kneeling NOT being an appropriate way to protest and that they should find a different way (Dann, 2018).

In a separate survey by ESPN, they concluded that 40% of the public were less interested in football after witnessing the kneeling (Global Strategy Group, 2017). As a part of a family full of present and former military members, I have experienced exactly how they feel about this act of protest. In the military the flag is revered and is a sign of honor, and sacrifice. During the time of the kneelings, every military personnel I talked to about this subject felt it was disrespectful towards them and felt they needed to bench anybody that kneeled.

The opposing view believes that the kneeling for the National Anthem is helping them gain awareness on the matter of police brutality. In the eyes of the opposing view point, they see that when there is a police killing it is always an African American or someone of color. When they see someone of color killed, they immediately think it is racially motivated and the cop who killed him should be jailed. In the year 2013, nation wide there were 5,986 reports of misconduct, 382 fatalities linked to misconduct from police brutality (Chaney & Robertson, 2013). This is a very alarming number and cannot be overlooked. In the past, groups have been founded such as Black Lives Matter to raise awareness of the same issue Colin Kaepernick was protesting and raising awareness for. They do not see the flag as a positive symbol in this country, they see it as a symbol of hate and racism. In their eyes the cop is always in the wrong, no matter if the victim came at the cop or not. If the victim was black and was killed, it is immediately the cops fault. They also believe that cops are out to get minorities and this theory causes them to be afraid and act out against law enforcement.

While many police killings may be of a minority as I stated earlier the majority of people killed by police are white people. While I do believe there are some rogue cops just as there are bad people in all professions, the majority of cops are law abiding. If they end up killing someone the majority of the time they are justified in their efforts to serve and protect their community. In the opposing view they see a minority that was killed by police and call it racially motivated but do not account for the fact that there is still a very good percentage of minorities that are in law enforcement. The other side has become engulfed in playing the race card rather than looking at evidence as the majority of the time when a civilian is killed by a cop it is to protect his or herself. I know there are cops out there that have killed unarmed civilians for no reason and I feel these police officers should get a significant amount of jail time. While I do feel like Black Lives Matter has done its job in getting media coverage and getting the word out, I do not feel as though there has been change in holding these cops accountable for unlawful actions. I feel as though these groups are causing others to form a hatred for cops which is causing more and more violence as many now see cops as ‘pigs’ and not a human being with a family. While many view the flag as a sign of hatred and resentment it is really a symbol of honor and sacrifice. There is a reason when a soldier is killed in the line of duty that he is buried with an American flag draped over his casket. The flag to a soldier represents freedom and they go to war in order to protect our freedom and rights.

I love my country. The USA was founded by men who believed that united, our people could build a stronger, more prosperous, and happier society. The flag and National Anthem are the symbols that represent our incredible country. Kneeling during the National Anthem destroys the bond that keeps us united as a people. I believe we can address issues of police brutality and racism without dividing our nation and showing disrespect for our flag. I urge you to stand up for our nation, and flag, and ask that you continue to your support by showing respect to those that have served this great nation.

References

1. Chaney, C., & Robertson, R. V. (2013). Racism and police brutality in america. Journal of African American Studies, 17(4), 480–505.
2. Dann, C. (2018, August 31). NBC/WSJ poll: Majority say kneeling during anthem ‘not appropriate’. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/first-read/nbc-wsj-poll-majority-say-kneeling-during-anthem-not-appropriate-n904891
3. Global Strategy Group. (2017, September 29). ESPN survey shows americans interested, divided on nfl protests during national anthem. Retrieved from https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20858557/espn-survey-shows-americans-interested-divided-nfl-protests-national-anthem
4. Feldman, J. M., Gruskin, S., Coull, B. A., & Krieger, N. (2019). Police-related deaths and neighborhood economic and racial/ethnic polarization, United States, 2015– 2016. American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), 458–464.
5. Kemmelmeier, M., & Winter, D. G. (2008). Sowing patriotism, but reaping nationalism? Consequences of exposure to the american flag. Political Psychology, 29(6), 859–879.
6. Sinyangwe, S. (2017). Mapping police violence. Retrieved from https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/
7. Thune, J. (2019). patriotism quotes. Retrieved from https://www.brainyquote.com/topics/patriotism-quotes