Does flying the American flag make us look Republican?

[proudohioan]

My boyfriend, who is a Navy veteran, and also a staunch democratic socialist, insists on flying the American flag on certain holidays, including Memorial Day.

I think I need to put up a disclaimer sign that says "We Are NOT Republican!" when he does this. I'm afraid the neighbors(we live in an extremely blue congressional district) will think we're (gasp!)Republican. He says that's his flag, too.

What do you think? Does flying an American flag make us look Republican?

[Xipe Totec]

1. Only if you fly it on top of a Toyota Mastodon SUV

[Blue-Jay]

2. The idea that Democrats aren't patriotic is a bullshit Republican invention.

That said - do whatever you want. I don't think a disclaimer is warranted.

[Dont TS Me Brah]

5. +1.... there's nothing patriotic about the party of war, poverty, ecological destruction and greed.

Fly that flag as a PROUD American...

[Blue-Jay]

10. LOL @ your DU login!

I take it you've been here before?

[proudohioan]

20. Yes, I've been here for about 6 months or so. n/t

[Blue-Jay]

26. I was replying to someone else.

And even though I don't live there anymore, I too am a proud Ohioan.

O! H!

[proudohioan]

28. O! H! Sorry about that!

[Blue-Jay]

29. The proper response is:

I! O!

(go Buckeyes)

[proudohioan]

32. I! O! ....

Go Buckeyes! (But Cleveland Rocks!)

:rofl:

[Blue-Jay]

34. Yay!

[awoke_in_2003]

45. I miss Cleveland

very much. I miss the food, good diversity- whether it be real pizza or a real pastrami on rye. I miss the downtown library a lot- you could get lost in there. Great public transportation. If it wasn't for that damn snow (and a good paying job) i would come back.

[proudohioan]

60. If I were to leave Cleveland, I woul miss it very much also.

You are so right about the food, diversity and library! And the West Side Market!

The down side is the shortage of good paying jobs. I can deal with the snow most of the time, but some winters are harsher than others. But when spring arrives...oh what new life and beauty!

If it makes you feel any better, Cleveland probably misses you too! Come on back and visit sometime!

t.

[awoke_in_2003]

70. I plan on coming up this fall

that way I can also drive further south and show the wife the way the foliage turns color. The West Side Market is a treasure- don't ever let that go.

[Richardo]

3. God no. That's buying into their co-opting of the flag as a GOP identifier

Any American who wants to should fly the flag with NO explanation. It might even serve as a more powerful object lesson to those who assume you're GOP when they find out you're not.

[FarLeftFist]

4. NO. But wearing one might make you look like a teabagger

Even though wearing the flag as a garment is a violation of the flag code.

[Dappleganger]

16. *snort*

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Dorian Gray]

6. No....

it makes you a proud American. If that's embarrassing to you, then don't fly it. But, if you're worried that people will think your a Republican... then that's ridiculous.

[tammywammy]

7. +1 n/t

[Fast Dude]

8. It makes you look American

Apparently your boyfriend understands the sacifices that have been made under that flag.

Here is a quick history lesson.

[Dappleganger]

21. Speaking of which, if you live near DC go see the National Marine Corps Museum

They have the original two flags which were put up in Iwo Jima. It is FREE (yay!) and if you're a WWII buff they have an excellent weapons collection (Japanese, in particular). We breezed through only two sections due to time constraints but it was definitely worth it. One of the most beautifully-designed museums which have been built recently.

[unhappycamper]

61. And a few more: ***GRAPHIC PICS***

That's my war.

[jonnyblitz]

9. I always assume flag flyers are republican though, deep down,

I know that is wrong. I am a navy vet as well and I used to, on occasion, supervise the raising and lowering of the flag at dawn and dusk (reveille and taps) and , these days, I would never fly a flag because i despise nationalism. One time at an anti-war event in washington d.c. I watched a black bloc anarchist with the black hoodie and bandana covering his face take an American FLag and drag it slowly along the ground in front of a group of freeper hecklers and you should have seen them freak out!! I loved it!! :rofl:

seriously, though, I am a navy vet who could care less about the American flag.

[Dappleganger]

15. What I assume...

if they fly the flag on holidays is that they are vets or appreciate vets. If they let it fly longer I assume it's because a family member is in the service and hasn't come home.

If that's not the case, then I assume they are a repuke with no clue what it really means to sacrifice for one's beliefs and are posers.

[LLStarks]

63. removed

[PetrusMonsFormicarum]

11. Since when

do Rethugs have ownership over the Stars and Stripes? Fly it proud.

[Dappleganger]

12. It is not THEIR flag.

It belongs to ALL Americans. Your bf is right!

Especially since your bf is a vet I think that flying it high and proud is a no-brainer.

[proudohioan]

18. Yeah, and maybe before the Bush years....

I would never have thought twice about flying our flag.

However, since Bush, I feel like a fricken teabagger now, and that's just wrong!

And I freely admit, I have allowed myself to fall into that 'teabagger' shit!


PS....

We compromised here; the flag is flying high and proud, and I have a large posterboard in the front window as a disclaimer.... How sad is that!!!! He doens't object to the disclaimer.

[Dreamer Tatum]

13. Why do you care what other people think? Jesus. nt

[proudohioan]

23. That's a good question....

But it's just the way I am, or can be sometimes.

But we do live in a PREDOMINANTLY Blue district and I like my neighbors, so I guess I don't want them to get a bad tea bagger impression of us.

[Dreamer Tatum]

30. You have little regard for the flag, and for your neigbors. That's too bad. nt

[proudohioan]

35. Well that's your opinion...

and I appreciate your honesty.


My opinion to you is...... fill in the blank.

[glen123098]

14. Last time I checked, republicans only make up about a third of this country.

[proud patriot]

17. it only makes you look republican to republicans

since they don't believe libruls love amurika

[Cleita]

19. I would like to think not, but since the divide between right and left I notice

I don't use the symbol like I once did with little patches or pins to proclaim myself as a proud American. Now I fear I would be proclaiming myself as a proud conservative or worse tea bagger.

[proudohioan]

27. Thank you!

That's exactly how I feel, too!

[Jennicut]

22. Since when is the flag owned by Rethugs only? I thought it was everyone's flag in the United States.

[stray cat]

24. only to ignorant bigots who stereotype people into mass groups

instead of thinking about people as real individuals.

[Subdivisions]

25. I certainly hope not since my dining room is decorated

with Americana and the Stars and Stripes.

[notadmblnd]

31. No, but if it bothers you, you could always put sign out

next to it saying that you're not republican.

[proudohioan]

36. Thank you....

and that's exactly what we did.

[HughMoran]

33. I answered no, but I should have answered "who cares"

nobody owns the flag.

[rzemanfl]

37. Not on Memorial Day. n/t

[old mark]

38. NO - makes you look American. It really IS OUR country. Don't believe their bullshit. nt

[Iggo]

39. It makes you look American.

Quit overthinking it.

[hack89]

40. What a stupid and insulting question. nt

[TorchTheWitch]

52. [phone]

damn right!

[S n o w b a l l]

53. Agreed.

:patriot:

I don't care what other people might think of me on either side. I know what I am and that's all that's important. So of course I would fly the flag. Especially on a day like Memorial Day. It's a shame that you've been made to feel this way by members of our own party.

[Stinky The Clown]

41. No it definitely does NOT make us look "republican" They do NOT own the flag or what it means

Your boyfriend is right.

And today, of all days, we need to fly the flag. Lots of dead guys is why today exists. Lots of fine DEMOCRATIC Americans among them. Memorial Day and the flag are NON partisan.

[Urban Prairie]

42. Flying the Stars and Stripes alone does not necessarily make anyone a Republican

But adding a misspelled sign that is tamped into your front lawn, or is placed in your picture window will make one look like a teabagger.

[Arkana]

43. No.

Just because the Republicans do everything but wear flag-patterned condoms when fucking their interns does not mean that the flag is suddenly Republican property.

Your boyfriend should have no qualms about flying the flag of the country in whose military he served--which is more than the Chickenhawk Brigade can say.

[Scuba]

44. Not at my house. You can see my Obama sticker, 'Nam service ribbon and flags from the street.

[JoePhilly]

46. We need to take the flag back from those jerks .... they can keep ...

The Confederate Flag.

[votingupstart]

47. as stated above -- It makes you look American - if your neighbors have a problem with it

you may have bigger problems than being true blue.

[Mudoria]

48. What a silly notion

:patriot:

[Shadow Creature]

49. nope

It makes you look like one of the few Americans who bother.

[Rowdyboy]

50. My flag went back up on the day Barack Obama was elected....

It flies today and will continue unless another crime syndicate (Bushco)takes over

[HillGal]

51. So flying the flag and or being patriotic is only reserved for Republicans? do you realize how

insane a question like this even looks?

[MrScorpio]

54. When the Republicants constantly dispute Democrats' patriotism, simply because they're Democrats...

Then it makes his question a very valid one.

[stevedeshazer]

55. Exactly.

And I'm flying my flag tomorrow.

[HillGal]

56. Well I guess you're pretty thin skinned then, I don't care what people say. NT

NT

[MrScorpio]

58. Democrats love America just as much, if not more, than the Republicants do

Many of us have served in uniform and defended this country with our very lives.

So just to sit on the side, so that the GOP can attempt to tarnish our good names for the sake of their want of satisfying their love of corporations through exploiting the fears and patriotism of ordinary Americans, well that is nothing less than negligence.

They want to cow us into silence so that they can control all of the talking points in the marketplace of ideas.

Most of us on DU simply refuse to let that happen.

It's our duty to stand up to those Republicant bullies, because we're standing up for America.

[proteus_lives]

57. That's silly, of course it doesn't.

[rasputin1952]

59. No...

I fly my flag all of the time, and I'm about as far from a Republican as one can get.

The R's have tried to take the flag away from everyone but themselves, they are the one group that in all seriousness should try to understand just what the flag means, they abuse everything...x(

[Avalux]

62. NO. My flag is out today, in honor of my grandfathers who fought in WWII;

it's personal for me. They sacrificed a great deal and it's MEMORIAL Day; the flag is a symbol.

[LLStarks]

64. I love our flag, but I don't fly it at the expense of others or for the sake of nationalism. nt

[baldguy]

65. Republicans desecrate the Flag when they wave it.

[madokie]

66. It makes me look like the proud Veteran I am

sad for the circumstances that made me a vet but proud of the fact that when called upon I did my part. No changing that

[rucky]

67. I admit I do make that association, but I shouldn't.

[Mari333]

68. if I flew it , it would only be upside down.

[Pisces]

69. Are you kidding me? Democrats join the military and Democrats die in service.

[renate]

71. I think it's a valid question

Some people may have gotten your question confused with "Should flying the American flag make us look Republican?" and the answer to that is certainly "Hella no," for all the reasons so well expressed above. In fact, right after the 2008 election I think it was more likely to mean that the person was a Democrat. But now, in some parts of the country, anyway, it's definitely a hint, if not an out-and-out statement, that the flag-flyer is a teabagger.

I think Memorial Day is probably an exception, though.

Many thanks to your boyfriend for his service. :patriot: