Before you go blasting me with the heat of 1,000 suns. This is MY reality, not yours. If you have never seen the American flag as a threat to your humanity congratulations. Most POC will not have the same luxury.
As a matter of fact, this piece was sparked by a conversation had with a few colleagues and friends. I was driving thru the midwest on a family vacation and my partner and I noticed all of the American flags that seemed to decorate every business and home. I suddenly felt uneasy. I was afraid to make a stop in that county to grab gas or additional snacks for the road. Surely I was just being paranoid. "The American flag isn't a symbol of racism silly, it's the confederate flag" at least, that's what I told myself over and over again. I would soon find I am not the only one who has felt this way nor had this experience.
In light of everything that has happened in American over the last 400+ years and with current events that blatantly show acts of terror and institutionalized racism- It is clear that this country is still plagued by the curse that was brought here so many years ago. There can not be a denial of the racial tension that has been accumulating for quite some time. The dialogue that I had with my fellow POC let me know all I needed to hear. The root of the issue and concern were very clear-The American flag doesn't represent freedom, it feels more like a symbol of hate and oppression, and it is gazed upon by the offspring of it's victims in this country with extreme apprehension and precaution. This is not an anti-nationalist statement- this is how people feel and no one should feel unsafe in the country they were born in.
The flag is upside down because the very thing that it is suppose to stand for: Liberty, freedom, and the pursuit of happiness, has been a lie to many of us who are not of European/ Anglo-Saxon decent. The blood runs from the red and taints the white because it represents the countless innocent blood that has been shed over the years, blood that was shed due to pure evilness and hatred. The stars are a "K" because there isn't one state who's institution- whether its the medical, school, or justice system, that isn't rooted in the racist background or ideology of those "Founding Fathers". The eye is representation of the eagle. The eagle IS the all seeing eye. It is also freedom, truth and justice served.
This piece isn't about being patriotic, it's about wanting a country to see the damage and hurt it has caused to a multitude of people and cultures and a cry to turn away from it. A cry to acknowledge and atone so that we may all heal. I would not have created this piece if I did not have hope that this nation could rise above the sins of their ancestors.
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