Posted 7 years ago
HippieArch…
(516 items)
I find this true relic from the 1960s a fascinating historic find. Original tattered 1960s Chicago area Painted, Graffiti laden, Destroyed Protest Flag. Hard to view the writing on the flag, perhaps signed by fellow protesting students. The red paint (or ink) an obvious reference to the War. The tattering is perhaps puzzling, was it torn by angry protesters or what? This has all the earmarks of being used at a protest - whereas many of the "peace flags" of the era hung out windows of dorm rooms or on the wall... never made the protest itself. sad there is not a more detailed history but being with the ephemera I just posted, I likely have the background needed for research. Unusual - unlike anything else I have.
This kind of despicable sh1t was the number one reason why i always volunteered for main gate protest guard duty, when i returned from Vietnam. I loved the feel, and the sound of my M-14 rifle butstock crushing the head, jaws, of man, beast or woman,, when they violated and Discrased MY/OUR USA FLAG, or symbol of it, such as this one. If you want to learn why, just take a visit to the amputee ward at any major VA Hospital, and ask a VET without arms and or legs "WHY" ? PS: If we had a "HATE" button here on CW, i would check it as many times as possible for this post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA, and ALL THE VETS THAT SERVED IN ANY WAR OR CONFLICT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
PS: After some soul searching, i want to say that i appreciate the fact that YOU,"HippieArch" Posted this piece, and i thank YOU for doing so. YOU, (imo) did not post it for Good or Bad political Art, but to show the sign of the times in our Country at the time, and I appreciate YOU for doing so!. If i came off as too judgemental,I apologize for doing so, as i believe you are just reporting the facts of the time, and your opinion concerning the actual meaning, is Your business, and private to you alone Keep up the Good work Posting my friend ! Gonna give you a Love Now, and take care!
WOW-- interesting flag too!!
scott
The only significant protests of the Vietnam War in Chicago were at the Democratic Convention in August 1968 and the SDS Convention in July 1969.
What's curious is that the protest flag shown here (if indeed that's what it was) is a cotton parade flag of 48 stars rather than the 50 it should have for the time of the protests (50 stars became official in July 1960). Could it have been for another use much earlier?
Just as an aside, to respond to Izenglish, I tell the story of an Inauguration Day protest just outside of the souvenir store I was working at in January 2005 for George W. Bush's second inauguration in downtown Washington, D.C. It happened to be at a Secret Service security checkpoint at Pennsylvania Avenue and G St, about a half block from the White House.
Protesters used the checkpoint to demonstrate against the Iraqi War and other things throughout the day. Just before the parade was to start, this well dressed older woman comes into the store rather upset. I asked what the problem was and she said indignantly that a protester was burning the flag on top of a bus stop shelter just across from the store.
I startled her by saying that I am a vexillologist, one who studies flags and seals and said that she should instead be thanking him for doing that. When she asked why, I said that the flag was no doubt torn, damaged and no longer serviceable and the proper way to dispose of an American flag is preferably by burning, according to the Flag Code of 1942. Therefore, he was actually paying proper respect to the American flag after all, whether he knew it or not.
Protest or not, the American flag should be respected. However, it is our natural right to protest in ways that other countries such as North Korea, Soviet Union and other dictatorial nations never could. As a veteran of the 82nd Airborne, that's what I fought for and that's what we all should continue to defend.