Reversing the Flag

originally posted: November 12, 2006
last updated: November 12, 2006

I recently saw someone complain that the American flag was drawn "backwards", that is, with the field of stars on the right, in a cartoon. My first thought was that this was funny. Of course, every flag is "backwards" on its other side.

Then I thought, hey, this is kind of an appropriate image of the times. After the 2006 mid-term election, it finally seems that the wind has changed, and it is blowing toward the left, instead of toward the right.

So here's a perfectly good flag, the symbol of our country, but it just looks a little odd because we are looking at it from the other side. Seems like a good emblem for an American patriot who is aware that there are two sides to things, and who is willing to look at things from the other side.

Incidentally, reversed flag patchs routinely appear on the uniforms of US soldiers. They are worn on the right shoulder, so that it appears that the flag is being blown backward by the soldier's forward motion.