Kevin M. Kruse: When I was younger, conservatives believed the slightest alteration to the American flag was literally criminal. And now it’s an adult coloring book they use to soothe themselves from the latest Boomer FaceBook atrocity

When I was younger, conservatives believed the slightest alteration to the American flag was literally criminal. And now it’s an adult coloring book they use to soothe themselves from the latest Boomer FaceBook atrocity

Old enough to remember when the most important issue facing us (according to conservatives) was respect/treatment of the flag, so I guess they'd lose their shit at it being hung upside down molested by a lacquer-faced lunatic, used on a pole to beat up up cops, and turned into whatever that is.

"I prefer someone who burns the flag, and wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and wraps themselves up in the flag." - Molly Ivins.

She was a national treasure.

Wearing these getups on the Ole Miss campus in 1968 would be a high risk endeavor.

They'd assume you were some kind of Abbie Hoffman radical

We only recognize one Captain America, not some hillbilly Hee Haw cosplay.

The racist anti-bussing crowd of 1970s Boston.

Abbie Hoffman was jailed and beaten for being 'un-American' and insulting the flag because he wore a shirt which looked like the American flag.

I'm proud to be related to the judge who threw out the Chicago 7 prosecutions.

They also wouldn't wear it as clothing, either... now they always do, or try to aggressively claim it as their symbol only.

When I was younger, American conservatives actually existed. They had a guiding conservative philosophy and a conservative vision for this country. We don't have a conservative party in the US anymore. We have a white nationalist Trump cult.

Apparently each colored line represents a particular service, while the black lines stand for both criminals and the public. I repeat, the black lines are criminals and the public.

From photos I see of the lunatics at his rallies, half of them are wearing a flag as one or more parts of their clothing. Since when did THAT get the right-wing seal of approval?

(remember any number of Bill Hicks routines that ends with him saying "that's funny, my flag was MADE in Korea!"

The worst thing for me about the rapid recent perversion of the American flag is that my first thought on seeing it is now “there’s a good chance this person is unhinged and not safe to be around” bsky.app/profile/norb...

Old enough to remember when the most important issue facing us (according to conservatives) was respect/treatment of the flag, so I guess they'd lose their shit at it being hung upside down molested by a lacquer-faced lunatic, used on a pole to beat up up cops, and turned into whatever that is.

I’m 65. On the one hand I think fetishizing the flag went too far because some people revered the symbol more than the country itself. OTOH I really don’t like people altering it because they think they’re more American than I am.

Let’s not forget the indelible images of the stars & stripes used as swimwear (banana hammock) or any other apparel item

I once had a WWII Vet berate me for letting the slightest corner of a flag brush the ground while taking it down, I thought he was going to punch me. Those were the days

A lot of conservatism is like this now. I remember in my younger years there was a lot of right-wing vitriol aimed at the threat of postmodernist sophistic relativism and now they love bloviating relativist Jordan Peterson and live in their own constructed reality so you never hear that anymore.

They used to talk about a flag burning [prohibition] amendment to the Constitution. They would talk about it every 2-4 years as a GOTV tactic.

Back in the day, God forbid if the flag touched the ground. I'll bet the disrespect shown by the Supreme Court Judges is based on fear for their lives. The country is now run by sociopaths. Until someone steps up to change things, there are agents willing to make sure it stays that way! 😠

IIRC the only legislation David Duke ever wrote during that unfortunate period when he was a member of the Louisiana state legislature was a bill to reduce the penalty for felony assault to a $25 file, if the person was convicted of someone burning or “desecrating” an American flag.

There are so many things that I remember from being younger that conservatives believed. Remember the end of the cold war, the Berlin Wall coming down, military service during that time, I really can't believe some of their BS now. Especially working in #natsec and seeing some rational, some not!

I feel the need to point out that the flag code is technically unenforceable because it doesn't specify penalties for violating it and also the first amendment. That said, claiming to be a "patriot" while blatantly violating the flag code is a special level of cognitive dissonance.

Kevin, I'm curious if you know do any other countries have citizens that routinely change the flag to mean whatever they want it to?

Tired: Anyone who desecrates the flag should be deported Wired: Give me three colored sharpies, I'm going to write on this flag that liberals and Muslims will be put in camps

They've gotten so aggressive with their flag fetish that seeing an American flag anymore means either government, car dealer, or crazed conservative.

"Car dealer" is a subset of "crazed conservative"

Imagine kneeling when the national anthem is played.

Imagine my surprise a few weeks ago in Brussels I saw a flag similar to Hungarian and a coat of arms similar to communist Hungary. I though somebody is trolling except no it's the flag and coat of arms is of Tajikistan. We have no relation.

I once taught “The Children’s Story” by Clavell to a class of 10th graders in an alternative high school. Even they, the most cynical 15 years old who ever lived, were honestly shocked when I pretend cut up the American flag.

But they accepted the candy at the “god doesn’t exist only man can provide your wishes” part of the story so teens are just a reactionary/conservative sodium metal meets water type situation I guess. Puberty…am I right?

Kunstler deserves this chuckle from beyond.

Trump comes and now anything goes.

I sometimes wonder how much the idea of revering the flag is residual from a time when flags were moderately valuable handmade objects. Desecrating or vandalizing the product of some virtuous housewife's patriotism is a very different gesture than whatever we pretend to get upset about today!

That and now they even hug and kiss the flag in addition to wrapping themselves in it

yup... shorts on their butts, badly patchworked pattern polyester shirts made overseas, faded truck stickers, tattered car flags, could they diss it more if they tried? all that's missing is TP

Remember when Republican candidates had to pledge fealty to Reagan? Good times

2013. NRA.

Countdown till MAGAs are wearing flag diapers

My hot take. Wearing Flag based clothing was normalised by the 1976 Bicentennial and by the rise of professional wrestling as a cultural phenomenon

The flag burning case at the Supreme Court was a big deal. www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/f...

Five Things to Know About the Case That Made Burning the Flag Legalwww.smithsonianmag.com It’s a grand old flag—here’s why the right to burn it was affirmed in 1989

Weirdly enough, here in the UK the opposite is starting to happen. Some were losing their shit because the tiny England flag on the football kit was a different colour 💀 www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-6863...

Sunak says 'don't mess' with flag on England football kitwww.bbc.co.uk Fans, pundits and politicians criticise a new England football shirt featuring a colourful St George's Cross.

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