an essay by dan quayle
Our Flag - America's Tonic Against Cynicism
As Vice President and as a Senator and member of Congress before that, I have visited dozens of foreign countries.
Believe me when I say I have seen lots of flags. Every country in the world flies flags on ceremonial occasions, such as the arrival of dignitaries on official trips.
But something sets Americans apart. We don't just put out the flag for important visitors, or on solemn occasions, and then put it away. Ordinary Americans, by the millions, revere our flag and display it every day.
We fly it from tall poles in front of our businesses, from short poles in our front yards, from balcony railings in our condominium complexes. We pin the flag on our jacket lapels and paste it to the windows of our cars and trucks.
As soon as our toddlers can hold a little stick in their tiny fists, we give them Old Glory to wave at the Fourth of July parade. And at life's end, we drape the caskets of our fallen patriots with the Stars and Stripes.
This proud display of, and devotion to, the symbol of our nation is uniquely American. It is how we reaffirm the fact that we are indeed "one nation" and that whatever our other differences, there are core values Americans hold in common: a belief in the dignity of the individual, a love of liberty, and a commitment to government of, for, and by the people.
By displaying the flag, we express our gratitude to the generations past who fought and died for this country, and we remind ourselves of our obligation to preserve for generations to come the freedom that others won for us.
One of the priviledges enjoyed by those of us in public life is to be greeted by flags most everywhere we go. This simple expression of patriotism is often a welcome relief from the cynicism of elites in our nation's capital who are too "sophisticated" to be caught waving a flag.
My aquaintances in the major media might find this hard to believe, but there's nothing like seeing proud faces of youngsters reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to remind you of the high ideals that first led you to seek elected office.
I realize that the temper of our times is increasingly cynical, that Americans in growing numbers raise a skeptical eyebrow upon hearing the words "high ideals" and "elected office" in the same breath.
If you read the same newspaper stores I do, then you have seen the public opinion polls showing in what low repute we now hold the major branches of government.
I must admit there are days when I understand those feelings. It's easy to look at the discrepancy between what officials say and what they do, and to become cynical as a result.
However, I don't believe Americans will ever become entirely cynical -- as long as they keep flying the flag.
As a symbol of our republic and its institutions, our link to this country's past and to its future, the flag helps us keep in mind that the Founding Fathers created a durable and admirable system of government.
The founders didn't pretend to guarantee that only honorable men and women would hold office. In fact, they assumed the opposite -- and created a system of checks and balances as insurance against the imperfect politicians they knew would always exist.
In other parts of the world, people tend to find Americans' love of the flag overly sentimental. I believe that our system of government, for all its occasional flaws, is still the finest in the world.
Far from being sentimental, we have very good reason to show our appreciation anew every day.
As Vice President and as a Senator and member of Congress before that, I have visited dozens of foreign countries.
Believe me when I say I have seen lots of flags. Every country in the world flies flags on ceremonial occasions, such as the arrival of dignitaries on official trips.
But something sets Americans apart. We don't just put out the flag for important visitors, or on solemn occasions, and then put it away. Ordinary Americans, by the millions, revere our flag and display it every day.
We fly it from tall poles in front of our businesses, from short poles in our front yards, from balcony railings in our condominium complexes. We pin the flag on our jacket lapels and paste it to the windows of our cars and trucks.
As soon as our toddlers can hold a little stick in their tiny fists, we give them Old Glory to wave at the Fourth of July parade. And at life's end, we drape the caskets of our fallen patriots with the Stars and Stripes.
This proud display of, and devotion to, the symbol of our nation is uniquely American. It is how we reaffirm the fact that we are indeed "one nation" and that whatever our other differences, there are core values Americans hold in common: a belief in the dignity of the individual, a love of liberty, and a commitment to government of, for, and by the people.
By displaying the flag, we express our gratitude to the generations past who fought and died for this country, and we remind ourselves of our obligation to preserve for generations to come the freedom that others won for us.
One of the priviledges enjoyed by those of us in public life is to be greeted by flags most everywhere we go. This simple expression of patriotism is often a welcome relief from the cynicism of elites in our nation's capital who are too "sophisticated" to be caught waving a flag.
My aquaintances in the major media might find this hard to believe, but there's nothing like seeing proud faces of youngsters reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to remind you of the high ideals that first led you to seek elected office.
I realize that the temper of our times is increasingly cynical, that Americans in growing numbers raise a skeptical eyebrow upon hearing the words "high ideals" and "elected office" in the same breath.
If you read the same newspaper stores I do, then you have seen the public opinion polls showing in what low repute we now hold the major branches of government.
I must admit there are days when I understand those feelings. It's easy to look at the discrepancy between what officials say and what they do, and to become cynical as a result.
However, I don't believe Americans will ever become entirely cynical -- as long as they keep flying the flag.
As a symbol of our republic and its institutions, our link to this country's past and to its future, the flag helps us keep in mind that the Founding Fathers created a durable and admirable system of government.
The founders didn't pretend to guarantee that only honorable men and women would hold office. In fact, they assumed the opposite -- and created a system of checks and balances as insurance against the imperfect politicians they knew would always exist.
In other parts of the world, people tend to find Americans' love of the flag overly sentimental. I believe that our system of government, for all its occasional flaws, is still the finest in the world.
Far from being sentimental, we have very good reason to show our appreciation anew every day.
posted by hondo at 7:05 PM
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