Modern Image of murderous dictator Stalin, still revered for his "leadership" skills. Other historical figures with their own flag: Adolph Hitler, and of course, the North Korean crew - image from business insider
An Obama supporter from Southern New Jersey has caused a bit of a stir by flying a United States Flag with the image of President Obama replacing the Stars. CBS Local Philadelphia ran the story initially, where one resident of a senior housing development, decided to buy three flags, one for himself and two for his neighbors. The flags caused a bit of consternation among members of the community, specifically veterans of the U.S. Military. This was due to Federal Laws that suggest the flag should not be desecrated by alternation. However, one might also consider that many of these veteran’s have seen, in their lifetimes, other flags with nation’s leaders emblazoned upon them – leaders such as Hitler, and Stalin.
In a search of all possible search engines, (dogpile, scrubtheweb, ask jeeves, mamma, etc.) not one reference to any other United States President with their image incorporated into an American Flag (for sale and for proud demonstration) existed. The South Jersey Obama Flag incident is not the first this election cycle.
In March, the Democrat National Committee Headquarters in Florida caused a controversy in that statewith the same Obama flag, this one flown below the American Flag at the Headquarters. Once again, protests ensued and the Obama flag was summarily removed. This incident, however, got little press, and one wonders why a DNC official office, flying a U.S. Flag with Obama replacing the stars, might not make the nightly news? Perhaps, journalist did not respond, either with outrage or in a straight story, simply because many in the news media are supporters of the President and saw versions of this flag before.
In 2009 - the website “Flags Gone Wild” reported an Obama Flag used in a celebration – this flag(s), with an image - one was a replacement, and one not so much as a replacement for the stars, yet still an American Flag, bearing the image of an ordinary man.
Perhaps the individuals who were carrying these flags, were either buying them or selling them on Ebay! the earliest retail outlet found for the Obama's Face on an American Flag, Flag.
Of course, the design for Obama flag was well under way in 2008 by a design firm specializing in concepts.- This however, did not depict the U.S. Flag, rather an Obama beats McCain flag.
There are stores where one can buy an Obama Flag now:
The barackobama.com stores, has a car flag, but not a whiff of the American Flag – this is similar to flags flow by the Tea Party, and other organizations - for a politician – it helps to raise much needed cash.
Then there’s the 2012 flag stores: Ultimate Flags.com has two Obama Flags for sale, one is the basic, Obama devotee flag, that does replace the stars with Obama’s image and oddly enough one for the Presidents more southern supporters Obama respectfully posed on the “Rebel Flag”.
The website offers a brief explanation that the Obama flag, is not a U.S. Flag at all, rather just an Obama Flag, and perfectly legal – of course, that may be up for debate by a future justice department.
The problem with glorifying politician’s is that a) the politicians’ get the blame,even if they are aware of or attempt to stop the flag sales (no references found to that order) and b) the Obama adoration society, should the politician appreciate the effort, might eventually turn into something ugly – The latest face to grace a national flag for example is that of Syrian Dictator Bashar al-Assad , who’s flag has been flying in support of the man who would murder men, women and children to justify his political position.
There are so many ways for political aficionados to support a preferred candidate, mugs, yard signs, tee-shirts, and the like, but to take the American Flag, for the first time, and place a sitting President’s image on the flag, is, indeed troubling, not to the right wing crazies, or old veteran’s but to those who love the nation and the flag that represents the nation. The flag is a symbol of freedom, first sown together by hand, as the rebuttal to the British and a rallying device for those early American’s, and throughout the history of the nation, the flag has adjusted, added stars (not bars representing the original thirteen colonies), for each state brought into the union. Therefore, to the lame-brained, money grubbing, idiots who are attempting to appeal to polecat ideologues with no sense of history or of nation, but devotion in a cult-like manner to one individual (similar to say teen devotion to any boy band), or in the worst case, Jim Jones, perhaps you should find another design, less controversial, more in keeping with the Obama Campaigns blue flag theme.
Otherwise, the more Obama American Flag that are flown from DNC Headquarters, to senior housing projects, to a next door neighbor as the summer moves to fall of 2012, might cause those who value the flag to take offense.
When to worry: When one sees Obama on the U.S. flag, proudly flying from the White House, or behind Debbie Wasserman Shultz’s next press conference as she blasts Stay and Home Mom’s.
The later is more likely.
Image of the Obama Flag not shown out of respect for the Flag of the United State of America
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