The City Council of Huntington Beach California recently tried to pass a simple rule. Only the National, State and City Flags could be flown over government funded buildings. The very vocal minority started using every avenue possible to cry foul. Left wing non profits threatened to not visit the city. Former outcast city council members continued to take futile jabs at their replacements.
All Flags or No Flags?
Reading the many social media posts you would think the incoming council had asked to fly the MAGA flag. All they did was try to pass a resolution that the city is the city. And with that in mind it should be respectful of all, and support our freedoms. That meant only flying the national flag, state flag and city flag. If the city’s only real agenda is to protect all of its citizens and help them build a better life, why do they need a pride flag or a MAGA flag out front?
One of the observations that I have made over the years is that people who fly flags tend to be very superficial. They fly the flag but don’t actually do anything about it. The more “woke” vocal someone is the more likely they are to be overcompensating for exactly the opposite. Former City Councilwoman Gina Clayton-Tarvin went on a vacation in France with her very homogeneous looking friends during her campaign and then complained people didn’t understand her. Acts spoke louder than flag waving.
It’s About Respect
Southern California is one of the greatest melting pots in the US. You can’t walk three blocks without seeing people that look like they are from three different places and yet are all born right in SoCal. There is no way to judge anyone in SoCal.
That isn’t to say that SoCal is the perfect melting pot. We have had our share of missteps like the rest of the country. In my life, the Watt’s riots, Rodney King and more recently the explosion of the homeless population highlight places we can improve. Many of my friends that moved here from other cities consider LA and the Beach Cities a great place to live compared to wear they came from.
Political Flags
Flying a flag says what you support on the outside, but it really doesn’t say anything about what’s on the inside. The most bazaar observations have been made in Hollywood. Hollywood is famous for flying political flags and then not following their own advice. The recent sex scandals in casting that brought the casting couch to the front page are just one of these issues. The flag of equality was flying while the back office antics didn’t change at all.
Just about every political flag flying is promoting a two class system. Ms. Clayton-Tarvin decided to pull a Harlan Sanders and user her Vice President title like she is next in line for the White House hoping people will think she is still in charge. She clearly thinks she is in the “more than equal class” and everyone else.
Politicians that support socialism, communism, and defunding police, refuse to live the life they want us to live. They fly the political flag and then get private security after defunding police. They get special medical insurance while we stand in line for care for hours. they live in castles and want us to let homeless live in our front yard so our children can step over the needles they leave behind.
Enabled by a Bleeding Heart
A recent conversation with a youth pastor for a very large SoCal church highlighted the problem of letting your heart bleed and living in the first world. He was with his teen group and tried to deliver food to homeless in two different areas. Both groups turned down the food saying they had already been given too much by other church groups. We have people that are working hard and can barely afford rent and Top Ramen and the local homeless are complaining they have too much food.
Personally I don’t subscribe to any specific religion, but I have had to do some reading in Sunday school. I asked my friend to repeat the lesson of Jesus giving away fish. He quickly said “Jesus said teach a man to… Oh”. I hope that he goes back and changes how they approach charity. If we could just distill it down to the ten commandments and the basic lessons we would probably have less people trying to avoid the good rules.
It’s About Respect
At the end of the day the most important thing is respect. If you think about the ten commandments, there isn’t a one that you can really argue. I once read that the measure of society is how many rules are followed without enforcement. We can’t force kids to be nice. I would go as far as to say that no child is born mean or with hate in their heart. We have to teach them that. Any political flag that causes feelings of exclusion shouldn’t be flown over a government office.
Colin Kaepernick took a knee on the field and changed how many felt about the NFL, me included. Instead of respecting how privileged he was, he gave many of his supporters the finger of disrespect. There are better ways to get the message out. We aren’t a perfect country, but I have traveled the world and still think it is the best. Instead of protesting, I challenge Mr. Kaeperkick to stand up and make it better. Lets all take down the political flags and respect each other as free people in the greatest place in the most free country in the world.
Maybe our government should only fly the flags that represent all of us? Maybe the HB city council is on the right path.
Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free. – Ronald Reagan