Julie’s Flag
Julie and I share the value of patriotism. We also share our mutual distress at the erosion of civic pride in our very unique, though flawed democracy.
She has observed to me that she is not going to let the authoritarian American right have exclusive right to flag waving. She is going to own her share of it.
So, since I’ve been her partner, she has owned a large American flag and has displayed it routinely on significant patriotic holiday.
Lately though, she has brought the flag out, lovingly folded in a triangle and hung it on our porch overlooking Wilmington Delaware.
This simple act of an activist, dedicated American, my life partner moves me every time she does this which is, if not daily, very, very often.
I treasure the fact her father served our nation, as did I and my father and his father. The latter volunteering for Army service as officers during WWI, WWII, Korea and during the Viet Nam era. Notwithstanding Julie’s and my work as anti-war activists during Vietnam and Iraq/Afg.
It so moves me that this brilliant woman and devoted spouse, mother and grandmother will not let the right own patriotism and displays of dedication to our democracy so under threat of extinction and sabotage by forces of authoritarianism and fascism. It so moves me when she often chokes up when the pledge of allegiance is said or the national anthem is played.
I am so proud of her leadership in a women’s activist group promoting democracy here in Delaware starting with the Women’s March in 2017 to rise up against the authoritarian elected by our Electoral College to undermine women’s and American’s rights.
She’s a fighter and lover of freedom for all.
