March 18, 2025 The Flag of America

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –
Emily Dickenson

For so many years of my life, I held my hand to my heart and pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States. When you are a teacher, the pledge is usually the first point of business in a school day. Someone in the office, usually a student, comes on the intercom and recites the pledge. I have a feeling that this happens at the beginning of every school day in classrooms all across America. Even if one does not wake up feeling particularly patriotic, that short moment when we all stand together awakens the spirit. One can feel a sense of pride that every one, whether young or old, has a part to play in our country.

When we studied symbolism as part of an English lesson, we often looked to the flag hanging on the classroom wall as an example of an object that can represent something much more abstract. We noted that the red stripes represent the blood shed to create a nation that could be united and free while the white stands for the purity of our good will and ideals. The blue is for liberty and equal justice for all. It was a simple lesson that everyone could relate to and understand.

I’m not sure what day it was exactly when the American flag no longer felt like a symbol for all Americans. Yes, it was the same flag of my country, with those same stripes and stars, but it felt different somehow. It felt like a symbol that divided neighbors and friends rather than unite them. To be a lover of the flag meant that one was expected to embrace beliefs that did not seem like the ideals of the founders of our country. Somehow, over the course of short time, the flag began to feel like it belonged to someone else. Well, at least that is how it felt to me for a while until I came to realize that the flag is too much of a beautiful idea to give up on. It needs to be celebrated by everyone for what it truly stands for. It is a reminder of the hope that we hold in our hearts even in the darkest of days.

I fly the American flag on my front porch because I believe that America is still a place where our hopes and dreams can come true even though our poor country seems a bit tarnished these days. Gone are the days when we were that beacon on the hill leading others through the darkness. It feels that sometimes that light has been put out, but we must not give up hope. Thomas Paine said it best when our country faced an existential crisis during the American Revolution. He wrote, “these are the times that try men’s souls.” Yes, it seems that we have been here before. Times were dark then as they are now. He reminded us “though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.” The coal that he spoke of is our hope. We must all work together to keep that spark alive.

We will emerge from this latest assault on the tenets of our democracy. We will be strong and respected again. We have worked too hard at the idea of a more perfect union to give up now. We have to believe this for our children and grandchildren’s sake. We must keep working. We must keep hope alive. We must never stop – at all.

“Hope is the thing with feathers – that perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all –
E.D.

Photo by Javardh on Unsplash