“The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.” –U.S. Flag Code
For many years my parents had a sticker in their car window that read “Freedom Isn’t Free.” They found this message meaningful and chose to share it wherever they traveled.
My dad was proud to have served his country in Korea. My mom was a poll worker for decades. They were lifelong Democrats, and among the most truly patriotic people I’ve ever known.
A flagpole stood in front of the house where I grew up. The American flag flew there. My parents kept the flag in impeccable condition, even during the New Jersey winters. At night, instead of taking it down, a light illuminated it.
Recently, the former president was filmed autographing a flag. My father would have been appalled. By signing the flag, Trump has shown his disrespect for the most venerable symbol of our country. For the last decade Trump supporters have flown the American flag to symbolize that they were true patriots. Neither he, nor his followers, have any right to call themselves patriots. They don’t support democracy or our nation’s traditions and laws.
Trump’s campaign message centers on the idea of “a failing nation.” At the debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump declared that the United States was in decline and dying. To illustrate his point, he repeated a story about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, eating pets, endangering the entire city. It is hard to imagine another era in which a presidential candidate wouldn’t be laughed at and booed off the stage for making these claims.
Do Trump’s bizarre actions make you wonder what his followers, who have always declared themselves to be true Americans, really believe?
Unlike Trump, Vice President Harris has spoken clearly about her love for the United States. “I love our country with all my heart,” she said at the Democratic National Convention. “Together, we must get out there and fight for it.” At campaign events, she talks about the belief she and her supporters hold in the promise of America.
Matching words to action, the Vice President has revealed bold policies to move us forward, like making home ownership more affordable and tax rates fairer. The issues she focuses on impact most hard-working Americans and will make their lives easier.
Harris has been open and respectful with everyone, including Trump, even when he made ridiculous and offensive claims about her racial identity. She trusts Americans to see our country’s problems and to work together to solve them.
Neither Trump nor running mate J.D. Vance has expressed any interest in finding bipartisan solutions. Instead, their plan is to deal with outstanding concerns by imposing their own decrees, the way corrupt dictators do. Compare that to a Harris-Walz administration in which the Department of Justice will dedicate itself to protecting our laws, instead of dispensing the vengeance Trump has promised, and the Department of Education will fulfill its mission to improve public education for all instead of being defunded. Think about the effect on our planet of having an administration that is committed to prioritizing solutions to the climate crisis instead of denying a crisis exists.
Kamala Harris is the next-generation patriotic president our country needs.
