This is going to get me flack from some of my readers, I know it. Yet at the same time I have to ask: “What is Sarah doing?”
Dailyfinance.com recently ran a story where the picture [left] taken for “Runners World” was sold against contract orders to Newsweek.
Questions of “sexism” and contract breaches run throughout the article, yet one thing kept jumping out at me that was not brought up. Why is the American flag draped over a chair, and why is Sarah leaning on it?
Call me old fashioned. Call me a prude. But I believe that the American flag should be displayed proudly where it belongs – on a flag pole or draped solemnly over the casket of one who sacrificed all for their country. If it’s not being used for such, then it should be folded properly and with honor kept high and dry off the ground. The American flag should never be used as a prop, ever!
Throughout our history, many Americans gave the ultimate price so that Old Glory could be hung with the honor and respect it deserves. It was the rallying beacon for those who fought for our independence. It was held aloft while this nation fought against itself. It was placed proudly upon Mt. Suribachi on Iwo Jima where one marine died for every yard gained to the summit. It has been held proudly, fought for, bled for, and died for in every war since.
I do respect Sarah’s political stance. I respect a lot of what she has said. However, no matter the reason this picture was taken, I cannot respect the misuse of the American flag.
Do I think that she intentionally tried to disrespect Old Glory? Of course not. Yet I feel that this picture is the result of a disease that has infested mainstream American thinking for the past 50 years. No longer is the history of this great nation spoken about with pride and reverence. Instead, our public school teachers and university professors attempt to find everything that is “bad” about America and teach it to their students. Children are no longer told of the great sacrifices of this country’s founders, nor of the great things the United States has done – and continues to do.
Instead of showing reverence and being thankful for the nation which houses them, people now take for granted the existence of this great country. Sometimes they will actually loath what America stands for and attempt to change it. I feel that the election of Barack Obama is a fine example where we now have a president who is attempting to change everything that this country once stood for, and in the processes, is turning America into a socialist nation.
It is past time that America returns to her roots! Her citizens should return to the pride once felt by their ancestors. Schools and universities should teach their students what is great about this nation, and should instill a sense of honor and respect to their audience.
Why is the picture of the flag raising on Iwo Jima so famous? Because it represents the sacrifice that American men made for freedom. It represents pride that this country’s citizens once felt. Old Glory ultimately represents liberty.
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Gato got runned over by Marcus many moons ago. Be ye daft, 2486? 
Let's have a new poll, alright, Joe?
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Who’s looking at the flag? Man, she’s lookin’ good!
oh yeah, the flag. I think it is disrespectful to lean on the flag like she is. It should be up on a… on a… Dang she’s smokin hot!
I’ll call you old fashioned and leave it at that. Yeah she’s hot and I didn’t even notice the flag draped there. I’m sure it wasn’t her idea but that of the photographer who took the photo.
Old Glory to me represents FREEDOM and the right to do what we want in this country. (for the most part)
The point is, the flag ISN’T on the floor so why all the hubbub? Be thankful we don’t live in a country like Iran where to this day they are still executing people for speaking out about the recent election there.
So what because is hot it is ok for her to do whatever? It seems from conversations I have had with people in the past the general opinion of her is: “Let’s forget what she is saying, her stance or what she stands for since she has a nice rack.” Erm…ok… I don’t think so. Even if it was the photographers idea she should still be aware of proper etiquette when it comes to the flag. You throw a blanket over the back of a chair, not the American flag.
For anyone that has question about proper display: http://www1.va.gov/opa/feature/celebrate/flagdisp.asp
What you people fail to realize it this picture was taken from a RUNNERS WORLD cover and photoshopped onto a new background for Newsweek! Again, she had NO control over the Newsweek photo people!! Get over it.
Well, if that’s true, Newsweek deserves the flack over the flag.
Guest that isn’t totally true. She posed for the image for Runner’s World (along with several other photographs) and Newsweek chose this one to run as the cover. She was not “photoshopped” into the image.
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2009/11/17/official-statement-on-newsweek-s-sarah-palin-cover.aspx
And from Palin’s facebook page which was noted in that article: “The choice of photo for the cover of this week’s Newsweek is unfortunate. When it comes to Sarah Palin, this “news” magazine has relished focusing on the irrelevant rather than the relevant. The Runner’s World magazine one-page profile for which this photo was taken was all about health and fitness – a subject to which I am devoted and which is critically important to this nation. The out-of-context Newsweek approach is sexist and oh-so-expected by now. If anyone can learn anything from it: it shows why you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, gender, or color of skin. The media will do anything to draw attention – even if out of context.
- Sarah Palin”
Newsweek blew it.
Palin, no matter what a person thinks about her, is a highly visible presence on our political scene. While I think her dress and appearance in Runner’s World was appropriate for that magazine, this cover is not at all fitting for the article inside the mag.
Newseek is really catching a lot of flak over this, and rightly so.
Why does ANYONE care about anything this woman says or does. She has proven time and again that she is nothing more than a “talking points machine” for the far right, has NEVER uttered an honest, coherent sentence in her life, and has absolutely zero chance of ever holding a NATIONALLY elected office.
*yawn*
I have no time for Sarah Palin, Obamamunism, nor McCain and his antics either. Both sides of what was offered up for choices for the americans were crooks, lying neo-cons, and statist centralist socialists. All the while the candidates that had anything real to offer up were told to shut up and sit down and that there is no such thing as elections of presidents but rather selections of such and that one had already been selected to do his masters bidding.
A flag is a flag, that’s it. You are giving for too much emphasis and almost worship for a statist flag and yet have nothing to say about what said flag purportedly stands for, whether it does or not and whether we or our children ought to be pledging allegiance to such I will leave for talking points of another day.
If it indeed did stand for such things as you claim it does, much less if the people of the nation that the flag stood for really cared about such paleo-conservative ideals the election wouldn’t have been what it was, we wouldn’t have had the two mainstream choices we had, and we wouldn’t be worrying about a flag but rather why we are taxed to death to support illegal foreign imperialist adventures, have an illegal and unlawful central bank that takes our time and labour and in turn gives us pieces of paper whose only value is that those accepting them are forced to under fear of the armies that are backing up that central bank…
In summation of my long rant, exactly what is it we are to be pledging allegiance to that that old tired flag represents? It’s the flag of tyrants like Lincoln, it’s the flag of the people like Bernake, it’s the flag of the people that murder any vocal opposition to it’s criminal regimes, and it’s the flag of Obama and Palin. Let them have it… I will hold onto the ideals.
Hopefully this one won’t get censored out.. At any rate, Phil, it is a flag not a God.
Smokin’ Joe,
I agree with some of your points, but sense an attitude that if people don’t agree with you, then they MUST be wrong and should just shut up and sit down.
The Bible and the Koran is holy scripture to many. Sure, technically speaking, they’re just books, pieces of paper covered with ink bound together, but they are a symbol.
The flag is a symbol to many. Sure, it’s just a piece of cloth with a lovely pattern, but it means something to some people. It’s a symbol of their beliefs.
My photograph album is just a bunch of pictures, but it symbolizes to me many things, my family, our love, our adventures, our life together, our history and it means something to me.
Treating other people’s symbols with disrespect demonstrates a disrespect for the person who treasures it and is an attitude which is all to prevalent in today’s society. Yes, each of us have rights, but when those rights bump into the boundaries of someone else’s, as they inevitably do, then common courtesy, cooperation, respect, consideration, and compromise are the appropriate responses, NOT “I don’t think that way, so you are wrong and should just shut the heck up and go away, cuz we’re gonna do it my way come hell or high water!”
‘Another Guest’ – It’s interesting that you use similar reasoning as I do but reach somewhat different conclusions. Actually, I would agree with your conclusion but something important needs to be added.
I would agree that it’s disrespectful to mistreat other people’s symbols. At the same time, those that react strongly to this (the flag for example) are not very secure in their love for their country. Rather, they are more secure in their hatred of others than they are for their love of their country.
I say this because by your own reasoning, the flag is not the country itself, just as a map is not the territory. When you light a map on fire you are not setting fire to the country.
Those that allow themselves to be so easily offended when a symbol is damaged do not have their heart and loyalty in the right place. They are focusing too much on the symbol rather than focusing on what the symbol is pointing to. Soldiers die in defense of a country, not a piece of cloth that symbolizes the country.
It is true that some people (especially some overseas) burn the flag because they would like to see our country burned. In that case it is an example of what you’re talking about, even though it’s no reason to let them upset us so easily if we’re focused on the right thing. Keep also in mind that most flag burning protests (especially within the country) are an example of great love of their country – they are using it as symbol of [whatever they're protesting against] damage being done to the country and that it should stop. When they didn’t truly love the country they would try to do damage against the country in some way (like Timothy Mcveigh did), not just a symbol.
I believe if you burn the flag you better have a VERY good reason, because it’s done too often over smaller issues which waters it down and makes such a protest less meaningful. At the same time, if you’re bothered too much by someone destroying a symbol of something important rather than the actual thing of importance, you may be focusing on your own interests or hatreds more than anything else.
Hey guys…
I’d like to toss out another way of looking at this, perhaps one of THE most defining at what liberty and freedom actually mean in this country.
The American flag is, without question, the most important symbol to me as a member of this nation. It turns my stomach everytime I see someone treat it with disrepect and I am filled with pride and gratitude everytime I see it; anywhere, in any circumstance.
But for me, here’s the thing…and there is really no way to get around it. The American flag is more than “just” a symbol. To me it is THE symbol that stands for liberty and freedom.
It stands for the freedom to vocalize my opposition to my elected representatives.
It stands for the liberty that allows each of us to go and live and work and worship learn as they choose.
And, it not only stands for the right of anyone to burn or defile this most sacred of all national symbols in protest, but it also places on me the responsibility to defend that right for anyone who chooses to excercise it.
Being an American is not easy. It is advanced citizenship. But that’s a good thing because if it was easy, everyone would have it.
And they don’t.
Great Responses. Just one question for Smokin’ Joe. I take it you know all the people personally who react strongly to the desecration of the flag and are privy to their feelings – that they are reacting out of hatred of others rather than in defense of their symbol? I would react, and do, most strongly, to the flag being burned and put in a toilet in an art display. Why? Not for the reason you stated – that I hate others. I have several immediate family members who are active and retired military, all veterans of WAR. These valiant people have put their lives on the line to defend this country, they have sacrificed so very much to do so, and they and I treasure that flag AND WHAT IT STANDS FOR! I do not hate the desecrators. I pity them. I can love and respect the symbol and not hate those who desecrate it at the same time. I can love and respect the symbol and hold to the ideals at the same time. Maybe it’s the symbol which fortifies us and energizes us in the fight against those who are actively seeking to destroy the ideals this country was founded on. I know from my family veterans that the flag brings tears to their eyes at the end of a long battle or even just a difficult day in the performance of their duties and reminds them of what they are fighting for.
So, I respectfully disagree with your conclusion that those who cringe when the flag is treated with disrespect are doing so out of hatred for their fellow man.