My first instinct when writing this story in honor of the Stars and Stripes, otherwise known as Old Glory, on Flag Day, was to share a photo of the American flag from a major sporting event like the Super Bowl or the World Series, with the massive flag engulfing most of the field, with its red, white, and blue rippling in waves like the golden grain sung about in a different patriotic song, "America the Beautiful."
But another image struck a chord instead because of what it says about our magnificent symbol. The Associated Press photo is drawn from the Hong Kong protests in early 2019 against the people's authoritarian government, which follows the strict dictates of Beijing and the CCP. The description reads:
"American Joey Gibson from Washington raises the American flag as he shows support at a rally by mothers for student protesters in Hong Kong on Friday, Jan. 5, 2019. The societal divide in Hong Kong showed no sign of closing Friday as students rebuffed an offer from city leader Carrie Lam to meet and a few thousand mothers rallied in support of the young protesters who left a trail of destruction in the legislature’s building at the start of the week. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)"
Why did I make that left turn on the flag photo?
Virginia's Attorney General, Jason Miyares, had the honor of helping some of our newest citizens celebrate in a naturalization ceremony this Flag Day. I found what he had to say about the true purpose of the flag inspiring, as his post about the flag reminds us that it's more that "just a piece of fabric." It makes "a promise of freedom, justice, and opportunity for all," not just here at home but "worldwide":
When a newly naturalized citizen receives their American flag, it's not just a piece of fabric. It's a promise of freedom, justice, and opportunity for all.
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) June 14, 2024
Let's celebrate and honor the freedom the Stars and Stripes symbolize worldwide.
Happy Flag Day!🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/tR590OWwP0
He writes:
When a newly naturalized citizen receives their American flag, it's not just a piece of fabric. It's a promise of freedom, justice, and opportunity for all. Let's celebrate and honor the freedom the Stars and Stripes symbolize worldwide. Happy Flag Day!
Miyares is someone who knows a little bit about the promise of America, as the first Latino-American elected to a statewide office in his state's history in 2021.
Today Jason Miyares ('98) will be sworn in as Virginia's first Latino attorney general. Miyares will be the first Duke to hold the office of attorney general in Virginia and the highest-ranking state government official in the university’s history.https://t.co/M1DWT4plp9
— JMU (@JMU) January 15, 2022
When both Miyares and his colleague, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Sears, were sworn in to serve the Commonwealth as a part of Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin's administration in Jan. 2022, I wrote a VIP piece about how inconvenient the situation was for leftists, who love to claim that fighting for freedom, justice, and opportunity for minorities is their sole province:
But diversity is really the wrong word for Republicans, as I’m sure some will remind me. How about ‘the party of opportunity’? Because that’s really our party’s hopeful message. It doesn’t matter where you come from, what language your parents (or grandparents) spoke, or what color your skin is. What matters is that you place the Constitution before everything else, in a political sense.
...
Whatever claims they might make to diversity and standing up for minorities being represented, here’s truly the Democrat Party’s tell: you’re not going to hear them celebrating the inauguration of the first Black and female statewide elected official in the state’s history. Or Virginia’s first Latino top cop. And remember: this is a state that was torn asunder by the evils of slavery. But also has the distinction of being the state where our nation’s wounds began to heal, in Appomattox Court House, in 1865.
Read More:
The GOP Is the Real Party of Diversity
Looking back, there's one thing I left out while chiding the Left. What they hold out as a promise of being (or becoming) an American is dishonest. They attempt to conflate equality of opportunity with getting the same outcome as everyone else. America doesn't make that promise, as a constitutional republic. Maybe if someone around the world is looking for a safe and sure thing, they should consider how people live under the iron fist of communist rule in a place like Hong Kong.
Lastly, while researching a story I wrote earlier on Friday, about a special event in honor of former president, Donald Trump on his birthday, I tripped across these birthday wishes from his son, Donald Trump Jr. It makes a fitting, visual bookend on Father's Day weekend.
Happy Birthday Dad!!!! pic.twitter.com/pdy5wdYFXG
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) June 14, 2024
Read More:
Trump Celebrates His Birthday With Enthusiastic Crowd at 'Club 47' Event in West Palm Beach
Enjoy what I consider the most stirring version of the classic John Philip Sousa march, "The Stars and Stripes Forever" (and they even provide the sheet music, if anyone's inspired to play along with "The President's Own" United States Marine Band):
Happy Flag Day, RedState!
