I totally agree with you!

Same. I’m proud and know of many faults I wish I could fix.

I think that the commenter is hinting at the rise of hyper conservatism and nationalism is the US. I’m originally from the UK, but currently live and work in the US, and I feel that the hyper conservatives in this country are trying to claim the flag as this weird type of fake patriotism and loyalty is Trump. It scares me how many Trump flags and and American flags I see hanging together.

Not in the UK we don’t. Outside of international sports competition, it’s not that common as all.

No no we germans did the natiinalism thing already. If you hang a german flag when its not worldcup ir"s like a statement that you are on the far right and neighbors don't like you anymore.

Admittedly fly the flag in U.S. and my experience from visiting over a dozen countries over the years it does seem to be more of an "American" thing (I recognize the description on its own is somewhat offensive given the two continents). The only place my travels have taken me that's given the U.S. a run for its flag money is Thailand, but that was less country and more the yellow flag for the King (at the time); a close second was the Queen and a baby blue flag...my recollection was this was due to the days of their respective births. I believe each of the seven days of the week had a color associated with it (any posters please absolutely set me straight if I'm incorrect). I used to be in the golf industry...Tiger Woods...half Thai; color red on Sundays...intimidating, sure! But my understanding was that's actually the color for if you were born on a Sunday...worked out well for him! Anyway, yeah...we're a bit flag happy, and admittedly not always appropriate about it.

Not so much that I’ve noticed; of course I’ve only traveled in Europe, Japan and the US over the past 50 years so maybe you’ve had a broader experience than me.

How does this imply that all Americans are like this? The theme here is traits that people turn into their entire personality. There is a very specific type of overly nationalistic American that does exactly this and yes, they are loud.

It's really not. It's an awful lot of them.

Almost half the country are, based on who voted for trump, so not just very few...

love that!

i have a gay friend who flew the flag upside down when Trump was elected....ignorant neighbors were outraged...an upside down flag is a distress signal....how many Americans know that?

i'm a boomer too and i used to tear up hearing the national anthem and such but not any more. all the maga folks have ruined it for me...tney wear the flag like a banner which,sadly, reminds me of Nazi germany from ww2...and there attitudes are thinly disguised feelings of racism,bigotry and misogny. i miss my United States very much...😢

No smart American hangs a flag daily? I don't know how smart I am, I have 2 degrees, is that smart enough? I hang a flag on the front of my house every day because I have 2 children, both boys. And at any given time, it seems one or the other is deployed. I fly the flag for them and their dedication to their service. Believe it or not, you can also not like Biden and not like Trump. But you can also think Trump isn't a man, but like some aspects about what he did in office. But calling anyone who supports him juvenile names says far more about you than them.

Seriously? I think this may be the most 'mindless' & lazy comment I've read in this thread...

The theme here is about people who make one trait their entire personality. That's a bad thing. Not being American, but when you take being American to such an obsessive level that it's the only thing you're interested in about yourself.

Do you personally know these 2 households and everyone that resides in them AND their collective histories? If not, I think YOUR way of thinking IS PART of the huge problem we Americans are experiencing right now. People assume you are an oppressor or an oppressed strictly on ill conceived perceptions. Many would see me and say 'Opressor' based on my skin color or living space, without realizing I'm the lightest of my entire family, whose completely illiterate grandparents came here from Mexico in the early 1900's (and survived the journey)to work for next to nothing, live in a 1 room slum, and have 9 babies delivered, but only 4 adult children... My father, born in the 30's started working at 6 years old and had an 8th grade education when he passed away at 90 last year. My history/my family has known abuse, racism, & oppression but you would NEVER know by looking at me, or even casually talking to me (or my Dad). Edit: I am 44 and not a boomer either.

You can value the flag and respect it without worshipping it as so many seem to do. It is the values that the flag stands for we should be concerned with, not the symbol itself.

The types who wrap themselves in the flag are precisely the ones who don't value it properly. Because what they really value is usually the direct opposite of what the flag stands for. But we know they don't do it out of ignorance. Not in the least.

No, Shawn. The ignorance lies in valuing, or worse, worshipping a piece of cloth that was more than likely made in China instead of having a robust understanding of what it symbolizes and trying to uphold those values. This is the entire reason why people do, and are 100% within their First Amendment rights to, refuse to stand before the flag as a silent act of protest. The most famous recent example is Colin Kaepernick who knelt (which BTW is also a sign of respect, just a different one) rather than stood to silently make a statement about police brutality against POC because to him and many others, this does not adhere to the values represented by the flag. Nobody has to agree with that reasoning. Everyone has to understand that he (or anyone else) was not wrong or disrespectful for doing it.

obviously.....says the rightous gun toting masses.

Nah, it's more fun to stay here and laugh at your flag-bedecked house as we drive by. 😂