- published: 19 May 2016
- views: 7184
The national flag of the United States of America, often simply referred to as the American flag, consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the "union") bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain and became the first states in the Union. Nicknames for the flag include the "Stars and Stripes", "Old Glory", and "The Star-Spangled Banner" (also the name of the national anthem).
The modern meaning of the flag was forged in December 1860 when Major Robert Anderson, acting without orders, moved the US garrison from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, in defiance of the power of the new Confederate States of America. Adam Goodheart argues this was the opening move of the Civil War, and the flag was used throughout the North to symbolize American nationalism and rejection of secessionism.
Though reticent to represent
They waive as their
Beloved republic bleeds
The victim of insatiable greed
Criminal acts
Dressed up in the flag
So no one can disagree
Then went crack the camel's back
It started out in front of the capital
A hundred coming down from their flag poles
It'd gotten so bad
Even blue white and red
Refused to take it anymore
American flags
Are hunting the fortunate sons
To swallow them up
And bury them deep into the ground
Present tense the president
Is calling for diplomacy or a truce
A dozen more are filling the room
Now down on his knees
"Lord they're coming for me!
For doing what you told me to"