Why We Raise The Flag

Every morning, just as the sun begins to peek over the horizon, retired veterans, school custodians, public servants, and countless other Americans step outside to perform a simple yet profound ritual. With careful hands, they unfold and raise the American flag, continuing a tradition that has persisted through war and peace, triumph and tragedy, unity and division.

For many who undertake this daily task, the ritual carries deep personal meaning. Take James Morrison, a World War II veteran who raised the flag outside his Kansas home every morning for six decades until arthritis made his hands too unsteady. Even then, he would watch from his porch as his grandson took up the duty. "Some things matter more than comfort," he often said. "This flag isn't just cloth and colors – it's a conversation between generations."

These individual acts of devotion multiply across the American landscape – from small-town main streets to urban centers, from schools to government buildings. But what makes this ritual so enduring, so meaningful to so many?

The answer, like America itself, is layered with history, meaning, and sometimes contradicting truths that somehow weave together into something stronger than its individual threads.

The tradition of flying the American flag dates back to June 14, 1777, when the Continental Congress passed a resolution establishing the first official version of the American flag. But the practice of raising flags as symbols of identity and unity goes back much further in human history. Ancient civilizations used standards and banners to rally troops and mark territory. Native American tribes used distinctive flags and totems to represent their communities long before European contact.

What makes the American flag unique isn't just its design – though Betsy Ross's contribution in creating the first stars-and-stripes pattern remains a cherished part of our national story. What makes it special is how it has evolved alongside the nation it represents, adding stars as new states joined the Union, witnessing both triumph and tragedy, and serving as a canvas upon which Americans have projected their highest aspirations and deepest disagreements.

During the Civil War, Union soldiers died believing they were fighting for the true meaning of American democracy. As such, the Union flag flew over segregated schools and later over the integration of those same schools. It was planted on Iwo Jima by young men fighting fascism, and it was burned in protest by young people opposing the Vietnam War. These contradictions don't diminish its meaning – they enrich it.

The flag has been present at every pivotal moment in American history. It flew over Independence Hall in Philadelphia as the Declaration of Independence was signed. It inspired Francis Scott Key to write what would become our national anthem during the War of 1812. It was carried by suffragettes marching for women's right to vote and by civil rights activists crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.

Beyond these grand historical moments, the flag holds deeply personal meaning for millions of Americans. For military families, it represents the service and sacrifice of their loved ones. For immigrants, it symbolizes the hope and opportunity that drew them to American shores. For Native Americans, it carries complex meanings about sovereignty and belonging in a land their ancestors inhabited for millennia before it became the United States.

The World War II generation saw the flag as a symbol of democracy's triumph over totalitarianism. But they also understood something crucial about patriotism – that it isn't blind allegiance but rather a commitment to helping your country live up to its highest ideals.

This is perhaps why the ritual of raising the flag remains so important in modern America. In an era of increasing polarization, when Americans seem to disagree about almost everything, the act of raising the flag is a quiet reminder of our shared heritage and common destiny. It's a moment to reflect on the American experiment – this bold attempt to create a nation founded not on ethnic or religious identity but on a set of principles: liberty, justice, equality under the law, and the radical notion that all people are created equal.

The flag code, established by Congress in 1942, provides specific guidelines for how to display and care for the American flag. These aren't just arbitrary rules but expressions of respect for what the flag represents. The flag should never touch the ground. It should be illuminated if flown at night. When raised, it should be hoisted briskly and lowered ceremoniously. These practices aren't about blind devotion but about mindfulness – about taking a moment each day to consider what it means to be part of the American story.

When Americans raise the flag, they're participating in a daily renewal of our national community. It's a reminder that despite our differences, we share a common citizenship and a responsibility to one another. The flag represents not just our rights as Americans but our obligations to each other and to the democratic institutions that make those rights possible.

In recent years, the flag has sometimes become a point of contention in our national debates. Some see kneeling during the national anthem as disrespect for the flag, while others view such protest as an expression of America's founding promise that citizens have the right to petition for redress of grievances. These debates aren't new – the flag has always been both a symbol of unity and a focal point for discussions about what American patriotism truly means.

But perhaps that's exactly why raising the flag matters so much. It's not about enforcing a single interpretation of American patriotism but about creating a space for all Americans to engage with our national story. When the flag is raised, it's not just about honoring our past – it's about claiming our role in shaping America's future.

The daily ritual of raising the flag continues across America, passed down through generations. Not out of mere obligation, but because it represents an ongoing conversation between past, present, and future Americans. Each morning, as flags unfurl in the early morning breeze, they remind us of the Americans who came before – the enslaved people who built much of our nation's early wealth, the immigrants who arrived with nothing but hope, the activists who pushed America to live up to its promises, the ordinary citizens who through their daily acts of civic participation keep our democracy alive.

The flag has flown over our nation's darkest moments and its finest hours. It flew over Japanese internment camps during World War II – a reminder that we must remain vigilant in protecting civil liberties. It flew over the National Mall as Martin Luther King Jr. shared his dream of racial harmony. It flew over Ground Zero after 9/11, a symbol of national resilience and unity in the face of tragedy.

Raising the flag isn't about pretending America is perfect. It's about acknowledging that we're all part of an ongoing effort to create "a more perfect Union," as the Constitution puts it. When Americans raise the flag, they're recommitting themselves to that effort.

In today's America, where it sometimes seems like we've lost the ability to see past our political differences, the simple act of raising the flag can serve as a reminder of what we share. It's a moment to reflect on the fact that our differences of opinion, our debates and disagreements, are not weaknesses in our democracy but essential features of it.

The morning ritual of raising the American flag connects citizens across time and space – from the Revolutionary War veterans who first saluted its stars and stripes to the schoolchildren who pledge allegiance to it today. It serves not just as a symbol of patriotism, but as a daily reminder that being an American is both a privilege and a responsibility.

Americans raise the flag because some things need to be done every day – not just on holidays or special occasions. They raise it to remind themselves that democracy isn't something we have but something we do. They raise it because, despite our imperfections and ongoing struggles, the American experiment in self-government remains one of humanity's most hopeful endeavors.

And they raise it because, like America itself, its meaning is not fixed but continually renewed by each generation that takes up the task of making our nation live up to its founding promises. In the end, that's why Americans raise the flag – not because America is perfect, but because they believe in its potential to become better, and in their responsibility to help it get there.