Thus Always to Patriots

It has now become controversial for government-funded facilities to display the U.S. flag. A state-operated ‘learning center’ for home schooled kids in southern Oregon has come under attack because they’re planning on putting up a flag pole for ole glory (as required by state law). Local parents are disagreeing with the plan on political grounds. Said Tracey Bungay told the Ashland Daily Tidings: “I feel our country is on a strong push towards imperialism, and we're not a democratic nation anymore. I want to raise my children to be citizens of the world, and the flag does not represent ideals I want to instill in my children. It represents dominance, greed, corporate power and not freedom. I think it even represents commercialism and consumerism.” Greed is bad enough, of course, but the thought that the flag might represent even consumerism is truly alarming. This melodramatic assessment of the nation’s current political climate is hardly surprising – leftist activists are after all the people who came up with bumper stickers like “If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention.” People who are perpetually outraged can often be found doing things like trying to divest public schools of the nation’s flag. Even more to the point, this tempest is stirring in Ashland, the home of a very well-regarded Shakespeare Festival. Flamboyant performances by the tragically aggrieved seem to be in the air down there.

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