One nation under...

Somewhere in the wave of intense patriotism that followed September 11, 2001, small American flags appeared on just about every highway overpass in the country. Who put them there? Where did they come from? I have this image of a single person in a beat up Toyota Tercel driving all night and all day to track down every overpass in the country. Just when s/he thinks it's time to rest they realize that the first flags they placed all those months ago are now tattered and worn and need to be taken down and brought to a local American Legion hall or desperate Boy Scout troop to be disposed of and the whole terrible long night starts over again.

A few weeks back, though, this amusing image was replaced by a more disturbing one. A modern day version of those old black and white photos of occupied territories and dictatorships of the Eastern Block where the leader's photo and the newly instated flag looked down from every free space.

I don't usually get political in this blog, but the current administration has created such a culture of fear that we have become a de facto version of those oppressed people. We still have plenty of freedom, but, until recently, to object was to be branded an enemy. The "You're either with us or against us" mentality meant we all had to accept it or defend ourselves against a pack of people questioning our loyalty.

I am not saying that I hate the flag or that I don't feel a small rush of pride when I see it, but I wonder if maybe I would feel better about it if I saw less of it.