While utilizing American symbols for political gain is nothing new, recently, it feels like the American flag stopped belonging to all Americans. It’s almost as if the national anthem, the eagle and even the stories of the founding of this nation only belong at red hat rallies.
Democrats, liberals and leftists — I have a question for you. When you see someone waving an American flag, what is it you think? When someone identifies themselves as a “patriot,” how do you respond? If you feel a sense of revulsion and immediately reject these symbols as incompatible with your politics — congratulations, you are part of the problem. There is a reason why many Republicans think Democrats hate America, and it’s not just because they don’t understand your politics.
Trump’s MAGA didn’t invent this playbook, though. The origins of the “America First” movement stem from the 1850s, with nativist conjecture trying to define who exactly was a “real” American. If you were anything other than Anglo and Protestant, you were the enemy at the gate.
Fast forward to the 1980s: Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on a hill” fused Protestant Christianity, capitalism and his own version of the American mythos into the identity of the Republican Party. MAGA simply took this established strategy of moral flag waving to cover for nativist, grievance-ridden politics. This strategy is employed to the point where any form of dissent is just simply un-American.
From the mass of red hats at rallies to the Trump Bible itself, MAGA made merchandise of so-called “patriotism.” The imagery is everywhere. From stars-and-stripes flags and “FJB” stickers posted on the back of lifted trucks, to mighty ‘Murica eagles emblazoned on the front of shirts to red, white and blue AR-15s engraved with a Trump Punisher skull. The result? Any offense taken to these twisted, gaudy displays of American identity is met with accusations of being a “communist sympathizer” or “America hater.” It’s easy to make an enemy out of your opponent when you monopolize the lore of a nation.
But remember, democratic systems require more than one player. The collective Left’s instinct to recoil from these displays of performative American virtue has served as a surrender to knee-jerk opposition. Yes that’s right, the very same closed-minded behavior that liberals accuse Trump’s followers of perpetrating. Rejecting American imagery or refusing to honestly tell our nation’s story isn’t subversion or protest — its abandonment. Avoiding the flag out of fear of association with right-wing politics isn’t resistance — its retreat.
I think it’s time to reclaim and re-contextualize the symbols of our nation, to quote the Pledge of Allegiance, “for all.” We have to remember that patriotism does not equal nationalism. That waving a flag and dumping tea in a harbor is not the most American thing you can do.
Instead, the legacy of the Founding Fathers is one that pushes for an involved, informed citizenry; those who are proud of their nation, actively involved in bettering their communities and engaging in debate across ideological differences.
As Alexander Hamilton wrote in the Federalist Papers, it is up to every American to build a government “from reflection and choice, not accident or force.”
As George Washington warned, “Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism.” The symbols of our great nation don’t belong to those who shout the loudest or fly the biggest flag. They belong to every citizen willing to help their fellow man achieve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Thomas Bergeron is a 25-year-old graduate student from Baton Rouge.
