I was in Tennessee a few weeks ago. I loved it. It felt calm.
The friendliness of strangers, which I have experienced on every trip to the South, was very much in evidence. I am an extrovert and I like talking with strangers, so that whole culture works well for me.
I was at a Dollywood resort for an event (not the park with the rides; just the hotel). One might expect such a place to be kitschy, or a tacky Dolly hagiography. It totally wasn't. It was classy and pleasant. Well appointed. Nice attention to detail.
The whole time I was there, I just felt like Dolly wanted me to have a nice time!
I respectfully disagree. My father fought in WWII, and I fly my flag proudly because of all those who served and all those who died protecting us. Old Glory is a symbol of truth/purity(white stripes), sacrifice (red stripes), and honor/loyalty (feild of blue).
I think those are worthwhile virtues, so I will fly the Stars and Stripes proudly, not just today, but every day of the year.
Have never heard the phrase "More Thomas Schelling than Jim Crow" but I love it. Absolutely agree re. Chicago as a former resident of over a decade. It is also a town of uniquely naive people outside of their own circle / region / etc.
Brother this was fantastic. Took my American flag down a year ago. I fly the Florida flag and the Gadsden flag. You articulated what I couldn’t. Thank you.
I’ve lived all over the South. Now we’re in far East TN, deep in the mountains(I know you already know) but, the Southern Hospitality thing must stop somewhere in the Smokies or down in the lowlands…….it’s pure outlaw culture here. There is a deep distrust in the people here, at least in the old families of the area. They aren’t *unfriendly* but there is certainly a different vibe. Johnson City feels southern to me but out here in the Cherokee it most definitely does not.
Because a flag is like language, a symbol to arbitrarily or freely associate with any good or bad event, person, or idea, I’m glad you shared your southern associations and conscience (also I think the flag represents your ‘dissenting’ argument too, I’ll explain).
Yesterday, at our church’s pancake breakfast I wore a shirt with all 1st amendment text on the front (I know, not July 4 text), and as my Iranian PhD student friend and her husband asked what that means, I explained freedom to speak and think and believe free of government censorship and control. “In Iran we have ‘freedom’ to go to jail when we speak out against govt.” He pulled up a pic of ayatollah (which he said means symbol of god) khomeneih on his phone and asked “does he look like a symbol of god?” The deliberative process of representative govt at the 1st/2nd continental congresses produced the Declaration - and then the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
I think the flag proudly stands for you. And it’s clear your eloquent argument chooses to only associate some honest negatives but not the honest positives with the flag, so perhaps read this for when you feel open to flying the flag again.
I wore a flag on my Boy Scout uniform in the 90s and early 2000’s on Saturday morning food drives, thru my Eagle project that benefitted my hometown public works facility, to the many similar projects across the country…to every flag outside a public school, to the brave people who repelled kingly rule, who abolished slavery, who expanded the vote to women, who created national parks, who liberated Europe and the pacific, who ended Jim Crow, who protest govt action, law, and war, etc. Old Glory represents the 1st constitution and its global legacy that almost 200 nations have since replicated: to enshrine human-owned freedoms as the end or telos of written law, not govt power or rulers.
I stopped doing the Pledge of Allegiance and the Star Spangled Banner a while ago. I have much better things to celebrate, and no loyalties to the government institutions. Good neighbors inevitably find irreconcilable conflicts with good citizens; I'll take the former.
This is beautiful! I, too, am from the South and I thank you for all the wonderful memories that arose for me while reading this! Have an amazing day!
I was in Tennessee a few weeks ago. I loved it. It felt calm.
The friendliness of strangers, which I have experienced on every trip to the South, was very much in evidence. I am an extrovert and I like talking with strangers, so that whole culture works well for me.
I was at a Dollywood resort for an event (not the park with the rides; just the hotel). One might expect such a place to be kitschy, or a tacky Dolly hagiography. It totally wasn't. It was classy and pleasant. Well appointed. Nice attention to detail.
The whole time I was there, I just felt like Dolly wanted me to have a nice time!
I respectfully disagree. My father fought in WWII, and I fly my flag proudly because of all those who served and all those who died protecting us. Old Glory is a symbol of truth/purity(white stripes), sacrifice (red stripes), and honor/loyalty (feild of blue).
I think those are worthwhile virtues, so I will fly the Stars and Stripes proudly, not just today, but every day of the year.
Have never heard the phrase "More Thomas Schelling than Jim Crow" but I love it. Absolutely agree re. Chicago as a former resident of over a decade. It is also a town of uniquely naive people outside of their own circle / region / etc.
Max, I think you may be ready for admission to Abbeville:
https://www.abbevilleinstitute.org/author/terry-hulsey/
Submit something to Brion McClananhan:
mcclanahan@abbevilleinstitute.org
Brother this was fantastic. Took my American flag down a year ago. I fly the Florida flag and the Gadsden flag. You articulated what I couldn’t. Thank you.
The first question is:
# 1. Who gets to vote in the: general election?
a. citizens only - Yes No
b. natural born citizens only - Yes No
c. naturalized citizens (legal immigrants) - Yes No
d. legal immigrants not yet naturalized - Yes No
e. anyone with a drivers license – Yes - No
# 2.1 Ages of Voter
f. minimum18 years
g. minimum 21 years
h. minimum 25 years
i. minimum 30 years
# 2.2 Sex of Voter
a. Male – Yes - No
b. Female – Yes - No
c. Non – Binanry - Yes - No
d. Transgender - Yes - No
# 2.3 Competence of Voter
e. property owners net value over $50,000 - Yes - No
f. property owners net value over $250,000 - Yes - No
g. have paid a minimum of $5000 per year of tax combined jurisdictions (school district, county, city, state, federal) - Yes - No
h. those receiving welfare / food stamps – Yes - No
i. tax exempt persons – Yes - No
j. those with unpaid child support obligations - Yes - No
k. those receiving WIC – Yes - No
l. those receiving Section 8 – Yes - No
m. those working for government bureaucracies – Yes - No
# 2.4 Genetic presence of Voter
a. Male without children – Yes - No
b. Male with children plural vote – Yes - No
c. Female with children plural vote – Yes - No
d. Female without children – Yes - No
e. Only married males with children who have never been divorced should be allowed to vote. – Yes - No
I’ve lived all over the South. Now we’re in far East TN, deep in the mountains(I know you already know) but, the Southern Hospitality thing must stop somewhere in the Smokies or down in the lowlands…….it’s pure outlaw culture here. There is a deep distrust in the people here, at least in the old families of the area. They aren’t *unfriendly* but there is certainly a different vibe. Johnson City feels southern to me but out here in the Cherokee it most definitely does not.
Because a flag is like language, a symbol to arbitrarily or freely associate with any good or bad event, person, or idea, I’m glad you shared your southern associations and conscience (also I think the flag represents your ‘dissenting’ argument too, I’ll explain).
Yesterday, at our church’s pancake breakfast I wore a shirt with all 1st amendment text on the front (I know, not July 4 text), and as my Iranian PhD student friend and her husband asked what that means, I explained freedom to speak and think and believe free of government censorship and control. “In Iran we have ‘freedom’ to go to jail when we speak out against govt.” He pulled up a pic of ayatollah (which he said means symbol of god) khomeneih on his phone and asked “does he look like a symbol of god?” The deliberative process of representative govt at the 1st/2nd continental congresses produced the Declaration - and then the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
I think the flag proudly stands for you. And it’s clear your eloquent argument chooses to only associate some honest negatives but not the honest positives with the flag, so perhaps read this for when you feel open to flying the flag again.
I wore a flag on my Boy Scout uniform in the 90s and early 2000’s on Saturday morning food drives, thru my Eagle project that benefitted my hometown public works facility, to the many similar projects across the country…to every flag outside a public school, to the brave people who repelled kingly rule, who abolished slavery, who expanded the vote to women, who created national parks, who liberated Europe and the pacific, who ended Jim Crow, who protest govt action, law, and war, etc. Old Glory represents the 1st constitution and its global legacy that almost 200 nations have since replicated: to enshrine human-owned freedoms as the end or telos of written law, not govt power or rulers.
I stopped doing the Pledge of Allegiance and the Star Spangled Banner a while ago. I have much better things to celebrate, and no loyalties to the government institutions. Good neighbors inevitably find irreconcilable conflicts with good citizens; I'll take the former.