Monday, November 3, 2008

Fly the Flag – for Unity!

In knocking on doors for Obama in our Precinct 109, we concluded that all those who have flags on their porches are voting for McCain. We stopped knocking on those doors.

As we thought and talked about this, we realized that patriotism belongs to all Americans and – although the flag has become a symbol of military action that is largely associated with Republicans – love of country is a much larger subject.

Then we saw that one of our neighbors who is voting for Obama had a small flag in front of her cottage, and the C-Shop is flying a row of flags. The proprietors, Patrick and Patricia Alesse, are Obama supporters.

After the first and second Obama signs that we put up on our vacant Birch Bay Drive lot were stolen, we cemented in four signs with small U.S. flags on top. They stayed for a month. Then last week they began disappearing. Yesterday there was only one.

It’s time to stop thinking like partisans. We prefer to think that the folks taking those signs are also Obama supporters who want to make a statement in front of their homes or put the signs in safe keeping for their grandchildren to sell to a museum or on e-Bay.

Just as Barack Obama says there should be no red states or blue states but United States, we say that as an expression of unity, regardless of who wins this election, we should all fly the Stars and Stripes.



Yesterday we nailed up a small flag near the entrance to our home.

“Yes we can!”

ak