[Leica] Monday Misc.

[Brian Reid]

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.