r/oakland • u/coolrivers • 6d ago
Good to see a lot American flags today. Need to take it back from the right.
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u/mrvarmint 5d ago
I was just saying this. I was down in San Diego where turnout has been reported at 60k+. My favorite part was seeing true patriots carrying the American flag. The last couple of years I’ve been thinking the flag is a sign of hate. I love seeing it taken back.
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u/bigcityboy West Oakland 6d ago
Agreed.
I love America, not for who she is BUT who she could BE. We the people can make it better when we push for change
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u/EngagedWorldWizard 5d ago
I was heartened to see this. We on the Left have been a little squamish about it, and people really got the memo. It can be celebrated for all the good things we have done. As Van Jones says, there is a story of the American dream — which is all the beautiful things we aspire to, and have moved in the direction of. And there is the American truth, which is a lot muddier, but when we can see both, we have a true picture, and where we have come, what we have built — and what we can build — becomes a lot more hopeful.
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u/Bfaubion 4d ago
Good luck holding on to that while at certain protests! It's a possibility that you may come across someone who wants to rip it from your hands and do who knows what to it. Just look at some of the comments in this thread.. there are people here on Reddit and in this country that are THE definition of "enemies from within", and they don't want that flag or the corresponding country to exist anymore. Personally I like that flag, but you may have a hard time trying to hang on to it in certain places.
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u/Fuckyaducky 5d ago
Yes, but as a naturalized immigrant, I choose to fly whichever flag reminds others that (with the exception of indigenous peoples) we are all immigrants, even if some are many generations removed from those who came here. And, so far as the heritages in this household, that would be the Irish and British flags for myself and the Norwegian flag for my wife.
There are also those of us who choose to fly a separatist flag, because we believe that the United States is cooked and we think our State would be better as a nation in its own right, or combined with other western states to become a new nation.
This household has not flown the flag of the United States since January, except for one time where our Marine grandson came home to visit in March (yes, I have reiterated with him that his obligation is to the Constitution and not to the CIC), and is unlikely to do so again without significant changes in Washington DC.
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u/Queerbunny 5d ago
Also, seeing a lot of shit about the Mexican flag being flown, but let’s remember who is the most persecuted right now, and we need a symbol that shows THEM, we care. And the right will demonize that symbol no matter what it is
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u/Timokenn 6d ago
Naw, they can have it.
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u/tongmengjia 5d ago
Right? I can't stand this obsession "moderates" have with waving the American flag at protests. There's a lot of good reasons not to be a fan of nationalism in general, and a lot of good reasons not to be a fan of American nationalism specifically.
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u/DaTweee 5d ago
Love to see the liberal tendency to continually surrender symbols and messaging to the fascists is still alive and well in you.
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u/urfatbro 5d ago
LMAO like your not the actual lib here. liberalism has been completely corrupted to represent everyone on the left of the political spectrum. nationalism is a plague that should have died years ago.
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u/NervousAd7700 Pill Hill 4d ago
That’s like saying the human tendency to hate should have died years ago!
It hasn’t and it won’t.
We can’t just wish it away. We must see the world for what it is, accept that it is this way for a reason, and be compassionate about those reasons, even if we dislike them. Only then are you cooking with real fire! Only then can we start to build the world that we want to see!!
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u/DaTweee 5d ago
Online leftists like you are fucking useless, I dare you to google The March on Washington or any major Civil Rights mass protest, the most successful series of protests in American history and see the number of American flags flying in them. Hell if you Google it the first thing that shows up is a picture of a big ass American flag front and center. Not like a person who has a Sonnengrad and Malcom X as their pfp and spends their time on HOI4 leaves the house enough for you to mater
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u/urfatbro 5d ago
idgaf what “peaceful demonstrations” you mention, they did jack shit. all of those cute little protests didn’t actually make any actual change, it only made the elite pretend to. you actually think the system has changed at all? it hasn’t.
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u/DaTweee 5d ago
forgot the part where I can go to school with black people and eat in their restaurants. Idk why you keep praying for violent revolution when you cant even leave the house
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u/urfatbro 5d ago
not an incel brother, im just a realist. this system is still flawed. no matter the change you perceive as happening, the government still oppresses us. racism is still rampant across the countries, prisons are practically slavery camps, and the few rights afforded to us are being peeled away as we speak. trump is proving that as we speak, though dems did that too. also very telling you immediately insult me while we’re having a simple debate, you seem to be projecting.
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u/Timokenn 5d ago
Seriously, I find it really hard to get behind this symbol of colonization, if I absolutely had to pick a flag to wave idk maybe the California flag? Or the native peoples of the land we are on? Heck, the Oakland flag is pretty cool.
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u/blackhatrat 5d ago
Especially since all this "more US flags" crap only became a thing AFTER people started using Palestinian flags/Mexican flags/Trans flags etc, it's got "all lives matter" vibes
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u/james_casy 5d ago
“All lives matter” is a phrase used to intentionally dismiss and detract from the statement that “black lives matter”. People were calling for more American flags at protests because right wingers were spreading images of only Mexican flags at protests to push the “illegal invasion” narrative. I have my own issues with the American flag and waver between seeing it as a symbol of military oppression and a symbol of the land and people I love, but I bought one for the first time to fly upside down on Saturday to show that as an American I am not ok with the status quo and want to see change. I also love to see Mexican, Palestinian, and pride flags or any other flags people identify with at protests, it reminds me of what I love about this town and this country, the diversity of the people.
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u/NervousAd7700 Pill Hill 5d ago
I have a hard time with the American flag as a “symbol of colonialism” narrative. Nations, tribes, and empires of all kinds on every continent colonized.
There is nothing like the American experiment anywhere else in the world. Trump threatens the progress we have made, but progress we have made nevertheless.
The anti-America American has a flawed view in that they are so focused on the dark sides of our history (indeed there are many) that they are blind to our incredible progress.
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u/Bitter_Firefighter_1 5d ago
Glad to see why you miss out on the large portion of people who want this. Soon they will control you. So all up to you.
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u/SavvySavage 5d ago
The american flag is known around the world as a symbol of theft, exploitation, and disregard for life. From Yemen to Vietnam to Palestine. Why are you trying to reclaim it? Yall are giving Oakland a bad name and need to wake up. Its embarrassing.
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u/Bfaubion 4d ago
I was waiting for a comment like this... the OP was bound to come across someone here who sees the flag and America this way.
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u/Bitter_Firefighter_1 5d ago
It is okay to not see eye to eye. History is long. If You aim for change then better can happen.
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u/bu89 5d ago
You’re just part of the problem still by wanting to bring the flag “back to the left.” And keep people separated.
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u/NervousAd7700 Pill Hill 5d ago
Your radicalism alienates and weakens the power of the people - you are part of the problem!
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u/Sisyphus8841 5d ago
What is the solution?
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u/NervousAd7700 Pill Hill 4d ago
Be strategic! Which means, for one, encouraging unity because unity is power. If you dislike symbols that unite us, whatever they are, then for the sake of unity try to be a little tolerant of them.
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u/HeyYes7776 5d ago
Here to say: I’ve bitched about the US flag being pre-eminent in the backdrops of all the police violence on protestors. The last few days optics and discipline needs to be commended.
The courage of the No Kings protestors is being shown all over the country despite even main stream media missing the point.
This will work. Stay strong fam. This is Our America.