Letter: Take another look at the American flag

By: Vance Patterson | Morganton News Herald
Published: July 02, 2009

Morganton, NC --

I travel the world, as a small businessman. And, as I travel the world, I notice things that are very different — things a lot of people don't notice. One is the number of flags the other countries have flying. None! I mean, they don't fly their country's flag!
I spent a week in China last year and saw maybe five flags the whole time I was there and those were on government buildings.
People in other countries don't fly their own flags.
How many Americans fly a flag at their home, year round? At work? I have two flags flying at home all the time and one over my business.
When we have visitors from other countries they are amazed at the American flags they see flying over homes and businesses and on cars and motorcycles. I while back my partner from Italy came to work an industrial exhibition with me down in Orlando. He walked in and commented how he and his father had noticed all the flags flying as they drove down from Atlanta. I asked, "Gianpaolo, what do you mean? Don't you fly your flag at home?" And they just laughed. He said, "No place else in the world takes pride in their country the way you Americans do, to fly their own flag." I was proud.
Picture the French flag. OK, here are a couple simple questions. Is the French flag blue, white and red or red, white and blue? What about the Russian flag? Not the hammer and sickle, but the red white and blue one – or is it blue white and red? What's the difference between the Russian flag and the French flag? How many of you even know what an Italian flag looks like?
Everybody in the world knows what an American flag looks like!
So I say, "Way to go, America. Keep flying those flags!"

Letter: Take another look at the American flag

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