What's in a Flag?
Featured in the Dayton Daily News
Just prior to the opening of Ohio State University’s graduation program, thousands of proud parents joined my husband and I as we gathered for graduation in the outdoor campus stadium. I was a bit skeptical wondering how a ceremony with so many graduates could be anything other than boring and impersonal. I was quickly checked.As the ROTC color guard entered the infield, there was a hush among the crowd. There, making its dignified and measured entrance was our American flag. It was grander than any flag I’d ever seen, carried in full extension by the young men and women in uniform. It was huge. As the crowed stilled, I noticed cadets underneath the area of the flag scurrying so that the fabric remained untouched to the ground below. Military boots peeked from the rehearsed and intentional production. The sacredness of this emblem was tangible. The National Anthem resounded from the brass band. The massive flag was carefully tethered to the giant pole and raised proudly to its soaring place whipping its majesty in the wind high above the ranks of people below. It was a spectacle that took my breath away and flooded my eyes with tears of pride. There has been much talk of flags lately, their significance and whether or not they stand for goodness of the present or traditions of the past. Recent arguments for the removal of the Confederate flag from the Statehouse in South Carolina got me thinking. Why are flags so important? Flags call us out of ourselves into a place of belonging. They remind us that we are part of something greater. During sports seasons, we see team logos raised in our neighborhoods and flying from car windows as proof of allegiance giving us a chance to “high five” with others who cheer in solidarity. The Confederate flag represents another time in our country’s history marked by division and suppression. That flag binds those stuck in the past. There is something unique, however, to our American flag. In the complicated tangle of political, social and economic webs, often we become disgruntled and jaded by our own belief system. When “Old Glory” is raised, all chatter is stopped, at least for a moment in reverence for our collective symbol. The stillness pierces through our individual differences and allows a greater perspective. “It’s not all about me,” I see as the red and white stripes meet the blue stars.
During the horrible travesty of 9/11, we found the ability to restore hope by flying our flag from fire trucks and car windows. Not knowing what else to do in our collective confusion and heartache, we raised the flag hoping to reach those directly impacted by the unspeakable act of violence. They were not alone.
Draping the casket of a veteran or fallen soldier with the red and white stripes pulls our grief to something greater. Who among us is not moved to stillness when the American flag is methodically folded tightly into the shape of a triangle and presented to the mourning loved ones of a fallen soldier. Regardless of your political beliefs, the flag represents not only the acknowledgment of a person’s military service, but also offers a resting place for the hearts of those left behind. With the presentation of the stars uppermost on the folded flag, one lost connects with the ranks of others who have sacrificed their lives. The grieving family joins a unique community bound by a nation’s gratitude. A trite consolation in the midst of raw sorrow, but a reminder, nevertheless, that they are not alone. Track and field athletes cloak themselves with the stars and stripes in their victory lap belonging themselves to something bigger than their personal accomplishments. Opposing teams stand in solidarity as the flag is raised over the competitive field. And as any Color Guard enters public space, we all stand no longer alone, but together in the community of what it means to be an American. Our country has definite flaws. There are many days one can feel discouraged and pessimistic about the future of our country. Often we are unkind to one another, judgmental of differences, and too tolerant of injustices. For this July 4, when we spend the day united as Americans, perhaps we can allow the sense of community and camaraderie to linger. Our country always needs an opportunity to come together. Despite our individual bias, the high-flying flag is good for the American soul.