New new election thread

[Good Old Neon]

I

[Spawn's dad]

I used to work in a print plant in RI where we printed flags around the clock.

[JUDE]

I used to work in a print plant in RI where we printed flags around the clock.

 

Are you a chinese-communist?

[viatroy]

I used to order a flag for my dad every year from my congressman. Awhile back we both decided flying a flag that had flown over the Capitol has lost it's import. He still has one, but he flies it at half-mast.

[myboyblue]

I have an American flag wind chime that I'm pretty fond of.

[gogo]

I'm just not a big fan of the color scheme.

[sweetheart-mine]

i was around in the '60s. many adults (perhaps that infamous silent majority) were absolutely scandalized when hippies, students, or war protesters (by no means always the same people) wore the flag or any part or image of it on their clothing or as clothing itself. there were probably lawsuits, it was a big deal to some people. in those days, if you wore the flag in any way, many considered you a traitor who didn't love your country. what a switch since then, eh?

 

through the '70s and '80s, i'm not recalling seeing any flags on any live bodies, nor did the extremely patriotic do anything with a flag except hang it properly off their porch and salute it at ball games, just like the old days. the 1991 gulf war, though, brought the flags out by the millions for people in support of it. still don't remember many people actually wearing the flag in some way, but a few started putting flag stickers on their cars or flying them from their car's antenna, and many carried small ones for no particular reason or stuck it in their yard. it plateaued there until 9/11 and then our invasion of iraq. flags small, medium, large, and gigantic started appearing everywhere, including on clothing once again. only now you can't tell someone's political persuasion by use of the flag. especially with the war, people for or against it weren't going to let the other side claim love of country only for themselves.

 

voila, here we are today, when it's perfectly acceptable for anyone to do just about anything with a flag except burn it.

 

i suppose i should look this up somewhere and see if it's true! just one person's observations.

[sweetheart-mine]

I'm just not a big fan of the color scheme.

me neither. i wish it were red, green, and yellow. (no doubt some country's flag is made of those colors, and i don't know who it is and they have nothing to do with my colors preference. for the record.)

[gogo]

through the '70s and '80s, i'm not recalling seeing any flags on any live bodies

Well, I am old enough to remember the Bicentennial, and I'm pretty sure that I had some flag-festooned clothing at that time. In fact, my older sisters tell the story that they were once standing on our street wearing vaguely-flag-themed shirts (again, 1976ish), and some teenagers drove past and yelled out the car window at them "All-American Assholes!"

[Spawn's dad]

Well, I am old enough to remember the Bicentennial, and I'm pretty sure that I had some flag-festooned clothing at that time. In fact, my older sisters tell the story that they were once standing on our street wearing vaguely-flag-themed shirts (again, 1976ish), and some teenagers drove past and yelled out the car window at them "All-American Assholes!"

 

my dad got our class patriotic (though not red white and blue) fabric from his company and we made clothes and ended up in the newspaper. As I recall

the boys made vests and ties. I think the girls did skirts. I'd try and dig up the photo, but my mom would only know where it is and she's dead

[Analogman]

i was around in the '60s. many adults (perhaps that infamous silent majority) were absolutely scandalized when hippies, students, or war protesters (by no means always the same people) wore the flag or any part or image of it on their clothing or as clothing itself. there were probably lawsuits, it was a big deal to some people. in those days, if you wore the flag in any way, many considered you a traitor who didn't love your country. what a switch since then, eh?

 

through the '70s and '80s, i'm not recalling seeing any flags on any live bodies, nor did the extremely patriotic do anything with a flag except hang it properly off their porch and salute it at ball games, just like the old days. the 1991 gulf war, though, brought the flags out by the millions for people in support of it. still don't remember many people actually wearing the flag in some way, but a few started putting flag stickers on their cars or flying them from their car's antenna, and many carried small ones for no particular reason or stuck it in their yard. it plateaued there until 9/11 and then our invasion of iraq. flags small, medium, large, and gigantic started appearing everywhere, including on clothing once again. only now you can't tell someone's political persuasion by use of the flag. especially with the war, people for or against it weren't going to let the other side claim love of country only for themselves.

 

voila, here we are today, when it's perfectly acceptable for anyone to do just about anything with a flag except burn it.

 

i suppose i should look this up somewhere and see if it's true! just one person's observations.

 

I'd say that is about right. There is also the whole Born In the USA deal. When I saw Bruce several years ago, there were a lot of people walking around with American flag clothing on.

[kimcatch22]

In what year did Old Navy start selling those $5 flag shirts they come out with every summer? I know the store's been around since 1994 or something.

[bjorn_skurj]

God, I loved the Bicentennial. And, wouldn't you know it, I checked my tires today and they were underinflated. Big ups to Barack!

[Analogman]

I have some Bicentennial buttons.

[Sir Stewart]

Sometimes I think I have memories of the Bicentennial but then I remember I'm thinking of 1986 and the Statue of Liberty's anniversary party.

[Party @ the Moontower]

I'm going to let that one go (myboyblue's), since it's actually far more substantial than most of what's gone on in here in the last hour.

 

I'm not old enough to remember this, but apparently in the 60s it was kind of a big deal for some older people that young people wore the American flag as clothing (on jackets, as shirts, whatever). It was considered disrespectful. Now, everything is covered with flags, you see flags on paper napkins that people are wiping their greasy mouths with and then throwing in the trash, etc. How did this change so completely? If the flag is sacred to some people, why are they willing to desecrate it just for the sake of having something in their vicinity covered with this symbol?

 

Not exactly election-related, just something I've been thinking about...

 

try growing up in the bible belt of MO. There is a church, a fried "food" joint, and a flag on something every few steps. With built up anger over the current state of our government, the feeling I get when I see an obnoxious flag collection on a big truck is that they love Bush, the "war on terrorism"...and a whole host of other things you should be ashamed to support by now..like Britney Spears.

 

Maybe someday soon our American flag won't be used as some cheesey patriotic prop. It seems those I respect the most refuse to wave it. Environmentalist, human rights activist, animal rights groups, and anti-war/Bush buddies...and even some on the other side.

 

Round here your just considered red-neck if you adorn your world with it...especially if your wearing it.Which I would never do..even in good times. And I coexsit with some sweet cheese in these parts while keeping my thoughts to myself like a good midwestern girl.

[gogo]

Sometimes I think I have memories of the Bicentennial but then I remember I'm thinking of 1986 and the Statue of Liberty's anniversary party.

Yeah, the Bicentennial was just like that, but without Lee Iacocca.

[Moe_Syzlak]

Personally, I just sport one these:

[Party @ the Moontower]

I was thinking of how much feeling there is in an old school flag. The cotton (hemp) ones that have such bold color. The white isn't so white, the red and blue are deep. The heft and texture are there too. The current nylon dogshit from China is a disgrace.

 

 

American Flags made in China...just ain't right.

[myboyblue]

Personally, I just sport one these:

can you actually buy those? Those things are about as irritating as can be. Talk about meaningless support of a cause. If those magnets are bringing any additional support or awareness to a cause, I'd be shocked.

[Party @ the Moontower]

Personally, I just sport one these:

that's got to be one of the coolest things I've seen in awhile. Big pet peeve of mine the past year. One woman I saw in town had all you could buy @ gas stations.Like 20 of them. Good thing I am a firm supporter of Free Speech for all.

[Analogman]

While digesting Reader's Digest

In the back of a dirty book store,

A plastic flag, with gum on the back,

Fell out on the floor.

Well, I picked it up and I ran outside

Slapped it on my window shield,

And if I could see old Betsy Ross

I'd tell her how good I feel.

 

Chorus:

But your flag decal won't get you

Into Heaven any more.

They're already overcrowded

From your dirty little war.

Now Jesus don't like killin'

No matter what the reason's for,

And your flag decal won't get you

Into Heaven any more.

 

Well, I went to the bank this morning

And the cashier he said to me,

"If you join the Christmas club

We'll give you ten of them flags for free."

Well, I didn't mess around a bit

I took him up on what he said.

And I stuck them stickers all over my car

And one on my wife's forehead.

 

Well, I got my window shield so filled

With flags I couldn't see.

So, I ran the car upside a curb

And right into a tree.

By the time they got a doctor down

I was already dead.

And I'll never understand why the man

Standing in the Pearly Gates said...

 

"But your flag decal won't get you

Into Heaven any more.

We're already overcrowded

From your dirty little war.

Now Jesus don't like killin'

No matter what the reason's for,

And your flag decal won't get you

Into Heaven any more."

[Sir Stewart]

can you actually buy those? Those things are about as irritating as can be. Talk about meaningless support of a cause. If those magnets are bringing any additional support or awareness to a cause, I'd be shocked.

[Party @ the Moontower]

[ih8music]

on a related note...

 

http://videos.cleveland.com/plain-dealer/2..._on_pledge.html