Reclaiming Patriotism

Storytelling. Whether in film, theatre, literature, or around a campfire, stories and myth form the foundation of our societies and traditions. Stories educate and entertain. They also embolden people to action. All my life I have passionately explored the way that stories of the past have shaped our present. One common thread that links social movements, political campaigns, and military turning points like the sinking of the Maine and the Boston Massacre is the power of narrative. Of optics. Looking around today, I see a nation politically divided and cannot help but examine the narrative being penned for future scholars. One portion of the electorate has claimed the mantle of patriotism, while those protesting on the other are choosing to wave foreign flags as a proudly defiant reminder that we are all immigrants. Despite the intent, these flags are being depicted as proof that we are traitors. This belief is spreading like wildfire and emboldening potential allies against us. The President is painting us as invaders out to destroy this country and he is doing so in order to invoke the Insurrection Act and unleash military might against US citizens. But by changing tactics, we rewrite the story.

I know there are some who have come to see our flag as a symbol of supremacy and hate. There are those for whom it certainly has represented just that. There has always been a duality to this nation. Slavery, the genocide of Native people, Jim Crow, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and the Quota Acts of the 1920s contrast against the enlightenment ideals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. Acknowledging this reality is what empowers us to heed the words of our founders and actively seek to form “a more perfect union.” To “bend towards justice.” To be a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” For ALL the people.

Our future has yet to be written. I challenge us to remind our fellow Americans of the inherent patriotism that exists in exercising one’s first amendment rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly in an effort to protect and defend the constitution of the United States. If the powers that be want to infringe on those rights, let them do so amidst a sea of Stars and Stripes.* Your donation will raise money to distribute American flags** at protests around the country, reminding everyone that we march not out of hate for this land we call home, but out of love.

*Flags may be displayed upside down to represent our nation in distress and provide contrast to those at Trump’s parade.

**Small flags will be handed out freely and large ones will be sold with proceeds donated to non-profit organizations working to ensure that our immigrant friends and neighbors receive the rights owed to them by the 5th and 14th amendments to the constitution.