For many Americans the election of Donald J. Trump and active support of him by the modern GOP - have spurred engagement in Progressive social activism in - what has been for too many Americans - their passive Democracy. Countering the conditions of our ailing Democracy and institutions will require activism and long-term commitments on many fronts with a common goal of "Liberty and Justice for All".

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1 - We envision a revitalized American Flag as the unifying and common symbol of this broad and multi-faceted Patriotic Progressive movement and renewed commitment to social Activism. 

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2 - We seek to reclaim the American Flag from Right Wing extremists who wield it's power and it's imagery as a source and weapon of their exclusionary vision of America and symbol Americans readily identify with. Some Progressives mistakenly reject the Flag as a Nationalist symbol (it has undoubtedly been used to manipulate Americans), but the Flag is an inanimate object of immense American symbolism and not to be ignored by modern Progressives. We identify with Norman Thomas's perspective: "If you want a symbolic gesture, don't burn the flag; wash it."

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3 - We seek to explicitly define Americans actively engaged in our social activism as Patriotic - as they strive to promote "Liberty and Justice for All", inclusivity across America, strengthen our Democracy, defend our institutions, promote thought and the reliance on facts and expand citizen participation in our Democracy. Being "patriotic" involves doing much more than waving a flag - it means actively fighting for the values and equality for all Americans and honoring the values embedded in our Flag. "I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag." - Molly Ivins

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4 - Only with further engagement of many - previously marginally engaged Americans - can we truly reinvigorate and advance our Democracy. The American Flag is the identifiable iconic image of American values ("one Nation, indivisible with Liberty and Justice for all"); - and also that as yet unengaged Americans can relate to, recognize, accept and find familiar to join our American Progressive and Resistance movements.

 

In the United States - generations of Progressive "Resistance Movements" - such as the fight for Women's Right to Vote, Civil Rights, Farm Workers Rights, Equal Rights, LGBT and other Progressive causes in American History patriotically embraced our American flag. We must now reclaim the both the symbolism of the Flag in our Progressive actions and update the definition of modern American Patriotism. To do so we can harness the power of the historic civic Progressive movements embedded in our Flag - as we engage and encourage others to fight to improve our Democracy. Patriots fight for "liberty and justice for all". 

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Explore this website and experience the history of the power and symbolism of our Flag in democratic Resistance and Progressive movements. We have collated many images of the Flag from our collective American History of social activism. Hopefully these images help you connect to the struggles of generations of Americans striving for a "seat at the table" for the past 150 years and inspire you to reclaim our Flag - while you advance our Democracy (and vice versa) - you too can and should be Flag-bearer of our Democracy.

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Reclaim Our Flag.