Minnesota woman urges others to fly flag

Mpls (red)Star Tribune ^ | 3/24/03 | Jill Burcum

[Valin]

Now that southern Minnesota is decked out in stars and stripes, a woman from Le Sueur wants to see the Twin Cities draped in red, white and blue, too.

Lois Hutton, whose son Robert is an Army sergeant serving in Iraq, said she was inspired last week during prayer to get more flags flying in support of troops and their families. She began buttonholing city officials across southern Minnesota to haul out the flags normally used to decorate Main Street in towns for Memorial Day and July 4.

[Valin]

Do yourself a favor. Click on source and go to "Slide show: Thousands rally at Capitol to support troops"

[lsee]

My child saw a commercial the other day that was impressive...the ad started out by showing a picture of an average neighborhood with a voice-over saying something like "many people thought September 11th would change this neighborhood forever". Then the image of the neighborhood changed to become draped in flags and red, white, and blue as the narrator said "they were right". The flag is cheap patriotism for many people, but for those of us reawakened to the meaning of that flag, it is no easy symbolism, but necessary forever.

[firewalk]

"People have got to walk out their door and see the flag flying. It's such a easy and positive to way to say, 'Hey, we're there for you,' " said Hutton

Bttt

[AmericanInTokyo]

My feeling is that Americans nationwide are NOT out there flying the US flag or with patriotic stickers on their autos as they overwhelmingly did right after September 11th, 2001, or during the Gulf War 12 years ago. What is happening?!

Is this 'Wait-and-See, Good Time Charlie-Patriotism" we are watching.

If so, how shallow was all the flag waving a year ago; now is when we really need to unite. What's with the lethargy?

(Maybe just in the US city I visited; it is not a liberal city per se).

Someone PLEASE say this is different in YOUR neck of the woods.

[firewalk]

Someone PLEASE say this is different in YOUR neck of the woods

Report from my neck of the woods...

The usual patriots are flying their flags that always have. There are still some people flying the flag who have been since 911.

There are fewer people flying the flag now in general. Worse, there's alot of tattered and dirty flags flying out there.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Thanks.

[MassExodus]

I scream down I-93 everyday with Old Glory flying on a post in the bed of my pick-up.
Not many off these between New Hampshire and Boston.

[Tamzee]

About a week ago I had to get off of a highway to look for a gas station near Wilkes-Barre, PA. I turned down one of the streets hoping to be led to a main road, but instead it took me deep into a older neighborhood with small houses crammed tightly together, the street so narrow that barely one car could squeeze by parked ones.

I would up crying a bit at that point, but not because I was lost. The neighborhood looked exactly like one of our rallies! It appeared as if every house was covered with flags and they had them all over their cars and yards, as well. It was beautiful :-)

[Faithfull]

<Someone PLEASE say this is different in YOUR neck of the woods.- Unfortunately, it is the same in my neck of the woods. In fact yesterday at a local rally, the father of a serviceman read a letter from his son in the Middle East. The son asked- 'where is the support of us Dad'?...where are the flags????
We did notice however that when we put up two yard signs supporting our troops in addition to the flag we fly everyday and two other signs on our windows- our neighbors started to pull out their flags too. And I'm in their face now asking them to fly the flags, put up yard signs, etc... I think we all need to speak boldly to our neighbors to fly their flags. (and to make sure that we are flying our own flag and putting out signs in support of the troops)

[jwalburg]

Sure, Twin Cities leftist will display their colors:

[Churchillspirit]

My flags are flying - US and UK, joined now by my POW-MIA flag.

Most of the folks in the village where I live are Germans, so not much hope of a good response from the neighborhood.

[LuLuLuLu]

Our pre-9/11 American Flag and post 9/11 Gadsen are still flying.

[firewalk]

I scream down I-93 everyday with Old Glory flying on a post in the bed of my pick-up.

This is something I'm seeing more of here in NJ.

[Vets_Husband_and_Wife]

We started flying our Flag the SECOND war broke out.

But we are one of only a few who are doing so in our neighborhood.

Something really cool happened last night though..

About an hour before sunset we had been out our front door and all was normal. Then at sunset we went to turn on our front door light so the garage light will shine on the Flag. There on our doorstep was a bouguet of flowers!!

Someone had anonymously placed a beautiful bouquet of flowers on our porch. It was in a plastic apple juice container with the top cut off. But really beautiful.

We just moved here..and only have met one neighbor. We called her and it wasn't her. But all of us feel someone probably did it because of our Flag flying!!!

:o)

We also are disappointed that more Americans aren't flying the colors.. especially when our troops are in harms way.

But this is proof that people DO appreciate seeing "Old Glory" flying. Not to mention the troops knowing, their families and friends.

[Terriergal]

Anyone hear anything further about the person who was going around stealing flags and pro-troops signs?