The August 27, 2013, Christian Science Monitor’s story headlined March on Washington anniversary to bring together three US presidents was accompanied by what we considered to be a disturbing photo. It symbolically and visually erases the constitutional autonomy of each of the fifty states and replaces them with an emperor-like figure more characteristic of the Kim family in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.
It is doubtful Dr. King envisioned this fifty years ago.
In a rush to yell it ain’t so Joe, that it was photo shopped or a trick of some kind to make lib’s look bad, I started checking around.Here’s the sad results. The flag first showed up at a democratic HQ in lake county Florida before March of 2012 and was taken down March 13 2012 with apologies all around. the new picture is in DC Aug 24 2013. What can I say even if it was held by a white woman. us lefties have our share dummies to.
Comment by Mike Teague — August 29, 2013 @ 7:31 pm
Politically active people who practice this form of personality cult frighten me, both nationally and locally.
Comment by Dan Gookin — August 30, 2013 @ 7:34 am
I suspect that the people who found that flag repugnant were neither defined by nor limited to any particular political party affiliation or political philosophy. I hope that if the image on the flag had been Reagan’s rather than Obama’s, people would have found it just as objectionable. “Personality cult” and “idolatry” accurately describe the behavior exhibited.
Comment by Bill — August 30, 2013 @ 8:35 am
Bill is absolutely right and my attempt at being glib in an effort to diffuse was more than likely inappropriate. It might be hard for some to believe but most liberals (at least the ones I know) fully understand and unequivocally love what the flag stands for. The problem is the flag itself, which we view as just a symbol, a piece of cloth if you will, and as such it doesn’t care what is done to it as long as what it represents stays strong. Now would that stop my more extreme brethren from flying into an uncontrollable rage if it was the face of GW or Reagan, not for a second? Having had lets say discussions with some of the local more extreme right as soon as I saw the picture I hoped it was just some exuberant teenage that didn’t understand the trouble it could cause an could be excused, seeing an adult, I could hear gun safes all over the area being opened. You would think that after the 60’s we would have all gotten over this type of thing but sadly we haven’t.
Comment by Mike Teague — August 30, 2013 @ 4:07 pm