Flag Day Facts—The Flag Waves For All Americans

June 14 is Flag Day in the United States.

The U.S. Flag is a symbol for all Americans.

I’m old enough to recall when Republican George H.W. Bush claimed that his opponent in the 1988 presidential race, Mike Dukakis, did not want to pledge allegiance to the flag.

The suggestion that the flag was more the symbol of one specific political party or political viewpoint was repulsive.

(Above–Betsy Ross knits a flag while a colonial creep leers at her.)

Yet for all the calls for patriotism we’ve heard from conservatives over the years, it was far-right Texas Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry who suggested that Texas might have reason to leave the federal union.

Here is information on Flag Day from USFlag.org.

From that link—

“The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America’s birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as ‘Flag Birthday’. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as ‘Flag Birthday’, or ‘Flag Day’.”

Here is a link to the Betsy Ross House.

Betsy Ross was a successful woman in many respects. Please click here to read about her life.

Is Betsy Ross the mother of the U.S. Flag? Please click here and see what you think.

I can write this blog post, but it is up to you learn the things you would like to know.

If you allow others to define your past, they will most likely use that power to screw-up your future.

Many nations have a flag day. Please click here to see what nations have a flag day and on what day it is observed.

Please click here for a post I wrote on a contest to create a one-world flag.

Even At Texas State Capitol, U.S. Flag Flies Above Texas Flag—TPA Blogger Round-Up

Here is the weekly round-up of the Texas Progressive Alliance. The TPA is a confederation of the best political bloggers in Texas.

With the round-up this week is a picture of the Texas State Capitol that I took from Wikipedia. You’ll notice in this photo that the U.S. flag is above the Texas flag.

This is just how it should be. The states derive their existence from the fact of our federal union taken as a whole.

For all the blustery talk about states rights and all that jazz, we see the real facts even at the Texas State Capitol.

TPA bloggers never rest in bringing you the facts about what is going on in Texas politics.

Please visit TPA bloggers every chance you get.

Here is the round-up—

Off the Kuff published interviews with Democratic candidates Jeff Weems, Hector Uribe, and Hank Gilbert.

BossKitty at TruthHugger is disgusted again. This is a very serious election, but America is the deer in the headlights and appears to be frozen. So the last thing he wants to hear is “its a TRUCK”! This election is all spin and conspiracy (not that previous elections haven’t been) but this one is critical because it’s hinting at rolling back what progress has been achieved. Israel is sliding, America is sliding and the radicals are ready. This is NOT the choice American’s should face.

Matthew Dowd, a Bushbot, longs for the glory days of the Bush presidency and envisions Rick Perry as president. That sound you hear is CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme retching uncontrollably.

Congressman Ron Paul Is Second Elected Republican To Talk Treason

Republican Congressman Ron Paul of Texas is the second elected Republican in the Lone Star State to talk treason in recent days. (Photo of Rep. Paul, in front of our flag, above.) (Here is a map of the areas represented by Rep. Paul.)

Here is what Rep. Paul said—

“[Perry] really stirred some of the liberal media, where they started screaming about: ‘what is going on here, this is un-American.’ I heard one individual say ‘this is treasonous to even talk about it.’ Well, they don’t know their history very well, because when you think about it… it is very American to talk about secession. That’s how we came in being. Thirteen colonies seceded from the British and established a new country. So secession is a very much American principle….”

Rep. Paul terms himself a libertarian, even as he asks for $398 million in earmarks from the most recent federal budget, but he is an elected Republican in our Congress. 

Last week Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry said Texas could consider leaving the union if it felt oppressed by the federal government. The federal government has of late been oppressing Texas with hundreds of millions of dollars in stimulus funds 

Is the Republican Party of Texas loyal to our union or is it not? What do they think Ronald Reagan would have thought about this disloyal talk? 

A recent Rasmussen poll reports that 18% of Texans would vote to leave the union if they had the chance. Another 7% are not sure. That is 25% of folks in Texas would would support or consider supporting leaving the union.   

What share of Texas rank-and-file Republicans hold this view? It seems that at least 40% or so of Texas Republicans must hold this view. I doubt it is Democrats that support this position of treason and blind anger.

It’s not just Texas. National Republicans had little problem with putting secessionist Sarah Palin within close reach of the White House. 

If Republicans and conservatives want to equate our elected President Obama and our elected Democratic Congress to taxation without representation, they are free to do so.

What I will do, as will liberals and Democrats across the nation, is salute the flag of the United States of America.

 

National Republican Party leader and conservative leader Rush Limbaugh has defended Governor Perry’s views on treason.  Given Mr. Limbaugh’s wide following with conservatives, one would be fair to conclude that the option of tearing the nation apart is a mainstream Republican view. 

Ideally in our democracy, competing political parties would offer differing views on the issues before the nation and the people would decide which views they feel are best.

But if Americans have cause to question the loyalty of one the two main parties, and have reason to question the loyalty of the conservative movement,  then we may reach the point where Republicans and conservatives can no longer be seen as legitimate participants in the national political debate.