“Flag Day, also called National Flag Day, in the United States, a day honoring the national flag, observed on June 14. The holiday commemorates the date in 1777 when the United States approved the design for its first national flag.”

I’ve never been a fan of the Confederate Flag. It’s a symbol of one of the ugliest times in our nation’s history and a battle over human rights. With a few twists in fate, it could have been the flag we honor today. The Blue X of white stars on a red background obviously means different things to different people or it wouldn’t be so controversial. I stereotype it in conjunction with pick-up trucks, missing teeth, and beer guts. But that’s racist! Supporters of the flag claim it as “a symbol of Southern ancestry and heritage, representing a distinct and independent cultural tradition of the Southern United States from the rest of the country.”

My wife and I were born Northerners, although we’ve lived in Texas and now Oregon. I personally think it’s contentious to have an Oregon sports rivalry called “The Civil War.” That would not fly in another other part of the country for the same reason that the Confederate Flag is frowned on here in the Northwest. Instead, it’s an endearing part of Oregon vs. Oregon State culture dating back to 1894. According to sources, the “Oregon Classic” or “Oregon State Championship Game” didn’t officially become “The Civil War” until about 1937.

Regardless of where we’ve lived, these sensitive issues are prevalent. In Illinois it was the banning of Chief Illiniwek, the beloved mascot of the University of Illinois. Growing up in Indiana, it was the Klu Klux Klan that many feel originated there. When I was a fraternity brat in Michigan, it was the White Cross in the Sigma Chi symbol. Texas was all about guns, Y’all. Soon, we’ll be Southerners, living in Florida the label of Gray Haired Red Necks. Get Over It!

This is not a political endorsement but I was struck by Condoleezza Rice’s recent comment, “Don’t sanitize history by taking down monuments.” These days we’re into sanitizing everything – just look at how much our hands have aged these past three months. One thing that can’t be changed is history and tearing down monuments, flags, and mascots is not the answer. What’s offensive to some people is beloved to others. Our flag is many times at the center of this controversy. The Stars and Stripes are what unite Americans now, but there are always those that don’t see it that way.  Let’s take a break today and honor our flag on Flag Day.