I love the American flag, and I’m definitely not a MAGA

A few days ago a friend of mine posted that he finally felt safe enough to rehang his American flag. I don’t know his politics. I don’t know who he voted for. Frankly, it’s not the part of him that I need to know to be his friend. But the statement threw me.

I have an American flag hanging in front of my house. I was raised in the Army. I have a fierce respect for servicemen, servicewomen, and their families. My father gave my husband a gift of an American flag flown in a drone during a reconnaissance mission, and that was the first flag to fly at our new house. Though the flag has been replaced, I am keen to keep it out in all weather. I never thought of the American flag as MAGA material.

The previous Presidential administration can be summed up with one word- volatile. If you weren’t a staunch defender of the President, he labeled you as a coward, an idiot, a criminal, and a traitor.

I never supported him, but I wanted to. I wanted to think he would take his appointment as the representation of our country seriously. Someone the military would be glad to defend. Someone even the staunchest critics could agree with sometimes.

I was left disappointed.

In the midst of all the chaos we saw- the injustices brought to light, and the lines drawn on the streets- I didn’t take down my flag.

I’m a self described liberal. I’m a registered Democrat. I believe women have the right to do what they feel necessary with their bodies. I believe everyone should have free healthcare. I believe people should be allowed to marry the people they love. I believe some people don’t identify as male or female. I believe that most people’s lives and choices are not my business and should not be interfered with if they aren’t hurting anyone.

When I lived in Germany as a teenager I had my first experience of Americans not being the “rally call of democracy.” I saw some Americans taking their superiority to a level that was demeaning to the country they were visiting. I was told by a teacher that there was a march going on in another city, and if I saw red flags in it I needed to get out of there. I was 14 at the time and wouldn’t be traveling without parents, but it stuck with me. When I traveled to Germany later as an adult, I was sitting in a cafe with my sister and father. Although my fluent German had become sketchy at best, I still recognized an unfriendly protest down the road. I told my family it was time to leave.

America is the “beacon of democracy” but we have shown our flaws to the world. We have shown our scars that have not yet healed. We now have the ability to heal them and not just hide them under a new shirt. Democracy is flawed. But we want to make it work. And we will. We will learn to work together again.

I want to be proud of my country again. I want us to lead the world in climate change action. I want us to welcome refugees and immigrants into our communities. I want fewer “career politicians” so we can have better ideas of what people actually want in our land. I want to be able to show my daughters our history as a nation and what we’re doing to make it better.

If you really want to Make America Great Again, make it great today. Embrace your neighbor, embrace your community, embrace the community next to yours. Let’s change it to something more important, if less of a catchy hat phrase.

Let’s Make America Great for All, since it’s always had it’s flaws.

We will hang American flags. We will wear American flag apparel. We will heal. No two Americans are the same. What divides us is not as important as the need to feel pride in what our country is doing. Without a constant barrage of “you’re either with us or against us,” we will come together again. Because democracy is stronger than ex-President Donald Trump.