Flagging Emotions
The Maundy Monday Newsletter - This Week in History June 10 - 16.
Happy Monday, friends. Thanks for being here.
I’m known for many things, like having a limited vocabulary, being blissfully naive, and watching a lot of Law & Order.
People also know me as a loyal and funny person dedicated to my Catholic faith and the progressive foundation on which it is built. I like a bit of Latin in my Mass, but I’m not a jerk about it.
On the streets of DC, I’m known as the flag guy. I own numerous flags. I have the basics: the flags of Ireland and the United States. I have flags for Ohio and St. Martin. Like you, I have a flag for Slovenia, which currently flies outside the house because the best basketball player in the NBA is from there, and it’s the Finals.
I also have a flag that looks like this:
This Friday, June 14, is Flag Day. In 1777, the Stars and Stripes became the official flag of our emerging country as we declared our independence during the American Revolution.
I love Flag Day.
The colonies produced many flags during the revolution to express themselves. Just like me, when it’s football season, and I put out a Florida Gators flag or a Cleveland Browns flag, announcing to everyone I’m ready to lose, our colonial ancestors put out flags announcing they were prepared to bring the pain. They used images like words, stars, snakes, and pine trees.
The Pine Tree flag, or An Appeal to Heaven flag, was used by a squadron of sailing vessels commissioned by George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The pine tree is synonymous with New England, particularly Maine (the pine tree is in the state flag), where they are everywhere.
Why put it on a flag?
The white pines of New England were superior wood for building ships compared to the tea and crumpet pine trees of Great Britain. The British knew this, so they wanted this resource.
In the early 1770s, laws were passed to protect our beloved pine trees from being slaughtered and used for royal purposes. When the War of Independence broke out, we wanted to remind our British Overlords, that our pine-built ships were better than theirs. The words An Appeal to Heaven invoked John Locke, who once explained we had a divine right to seek revolution. The combination of words and a pine tree struck fear in our enemies.
I have had this flag for over twenty years. I bought it because a close friend from college, Christy Male, was tragically killed in a train accident in 2001. A few others and I use this flag to remember her and her impact on our lives. Her nickname was Maelstrom because he was a force of beauty. I fly it every July between July 10 and 14, two important dates in her life.
I can’t write about her without tearing up because one of the things I’m most known for is being emotional.
Flags can mean different things to different people, and unfortunately, the An Appeal to Heaven flag is now associated with Christian Nationalists who like to play patriot games and act like we are in some state of tyranny.
I saw the flag during the insurrection in my neighborhood back in 2021. I still flew the flag that July. I did the same thing in 2022 and 2023.
Nothing will stop me from doing it again a month from now.
Certainly not because Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito had this flag flying at his beach house, and now everyone knows to be on the lookout for the flag and assume you are a Donald Trump loyalist. Alito and I share the same Catholic faith, but that’s where our association ends. He didn’t know Christy. Christy wouldn’t have liked him, mainly because he has no style.
We need to take back the symbols of our country’s history and not allow them to be usurped by a group of people who promote a dangerous form of government, which is the antithesis of why these flags were first created.
I’m a Christian, and I love my nation. But I fly this flag because I miss my friend.
Okay, let's highlight what else happened this week. As a reminder, these events celebrate their anniversary, ending in 5 or 0. Here's what I got:
1. President Eisenhower signed the order for the “Under God” statement on June 14, 1954. One Nation, Under God, in the Pledge of Allegiance has been said ever since.
2. Charles Goodyear secured the patent for vulcanized rubber on June 15, 1844. The self-taught chemist figured out how to harden rubber, revolutionizing its use, eventually including shoes and tires. Interesting fact: The Goodyear company was founded fifty-four years later and thirty-eight years after Charles died.
3. The 9/11 Commission determined Saddam Hussein had no ties to Al-Qaeda on June 16, 2004. The former Iraqi President wasn’t connected to the attack in 2001, according to President George W Bush. However, we decided that he had weapons of mass destruction, so we invaded. We eventually caught Saddam, and he was executed in 2006.
Okay, before we head into the week, here’s something fun to share.
About a week ago, OKH subscriber RobP sent me a comedy history video he created. I must say I enjoyed watching this immensely. Even though I don’t know Rob, I feel like he is a brother from another mother and father—the one sibling who got all the talent but is kind enough to share it.
Rob talks and sings about interesting highlights of US history. I agree with his selections, especially regarding the National Anthem, the “market,” and when faith and politics intersect. If I could write music or play an instrument, I’d be about half as talented as Rob.
It’s an hour long, but he breaks up each segment so you can watch them separately if you need to, like I did.
I highly recommend The American Songbook: Redacted Comedy Special. Let Rob know what you think.
Here’s the link:
The American Songbook: Redacted Comedy Special - YouTube
Thanks for sticking it through a longer-than-usual Maundy Monday Newsletter. I appreciate your support of Okay History. It's’ another busy week for me, and I hope it’s another good one for you. I’ll see you on Friday.
Okay,
Chris
I had assumed Charles Goodyear was the founder of the Goodyear company, but, obviously, he wasn't.
That Great American Songbook special was great!