WHO DOES OUR FLAG BELONG TO?

The American flag the American flag. A symbol of freedom. A symbol of our independence. A symbol of a country. We should all be proud of living in.

So, why does the flag? Not represent all of the people in the United States? Why does the flag no longer seem to stand for freedom, for human rights, for the average American person living in this country?

The American flag is on all the uniforms of our United States Army. To sum the flag is a symbol of freedom, to others. It is a symbol of oppression.

The flag belongs to the people of the United States, not to those who oppress us. Have you ever noticed that the flag is proudly branded upon the arm of every police authority in the nation? Some of those officers are bound on oppressing our freedom instead of encouraging our freedom. That symbol on the arms of organizations that have repeatedly killed African-American citizens, and have used it as a sign of racist intent is absolutely disgusting.

So, when did the flag stop being a symbol of the average American, and instead be branded upon the arms of our oppressors? Perhaps it's time that the average American took their flag back. The flag belongs to the people, not to oppressive forces.

My views of being an American have changed over my lifetime. From days prior to my incarceration, when I was proud to be an American, and proud to look up at our flag. It began to change when I was in prison, and it became apparent that the people who were there to oppress me, often abuse me, wore that proud flag upon their arms. In my opinion, they should have been wearing swastika bands instead. If you have ever been to prison, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

After my incarceration I saw a new America in 2020. Not an America. I was proud about. I began to saw those who wore the flag of our freedom, wearing it as a sign of authority over the freedom of the American people.

The flag of the United States of America certainly doesn't mean to me what it used to. I hope with all my heart in the future that the flag of the United States is reclaimed by the citizens of this country. It is after all their symbol of freedom.

Steven Michael Stroud