Flag Day 2011: It’s A Flag Worth Flying

Marion Smith / June 14, 2011

A few weeks ago at Louisiana State University, a small group of agitated students attempted to burn a U.S. flag in protest for some policy or other that they believed warranted the symbolic destruction of their country.

Before they could get going, however, the protest was interrupted by other students who challenged them. A growing crowd ringed around the would-be flag burners, who became the sad spectacle of their unsuccessful demonstration. The crowd roared, “USA, USA, USA, USA” and a few threw water balloons; the protesters were soon escorted away for their own safety by security officers.

This altercation over a piece of cloth reveals something crucial about the American flag—it represents an idea that most students at LSU, and indeed most Americans across the country, don’t want burned and destroyed, symbolically or otherwise. Today is Flag Day and is, therefore, a good time to think about the symbolism of this banner. (more…)