Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2023/07/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]My experience and memory is that the US flag became a right-wing political symbol in the end and aftermath of the Vietnam war. There were fierce anti-war protests in the USA in the late 1960s, and many pro-war protesters insisted that anti-war protestors were un-American and hated their country. Those who disagreed with the anti-war protests began wearing flag pins in their clothing, putting flags and flag decals on their cars, and being publicly scornful of anyone who did not. These flag pins and decals supposedly said "I love my country and you don't". The most popular magazine in the USA, Reader's Digest, included a flag decal in their February 1969 issue, with instructions to show it proudly as evidence that you supported the Vietnam war. Singer-songwriter John Prine soon released a hit song entitled "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore", which ridiculed the Readers Digest effort. Its lyrics began "While digesting Reader's Digest in the back of the dirty book store/A plastic flag with gum on the back fell out on the floor/Well, I picked it up and I went outside And stuck it on my window shield..." From my point of view it was that conflict over the value and meaning of a flag decal to indicate support for the Vietnam war that was the beginning of hyperemphasis on the US flag. Instead of just being a flag, it was a political symbol.