# Does the display of American flags have some "hidden meaning" these days?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-display-of-american-flags-have-some-hidden-meaning-these-days/990270>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [September 17, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-display-of-american-flags-have-some-hidden-meaning-these-days/990270 "2023-09-17T17:52:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 233

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**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2023, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-display-of-american-flags-have-some-hidden-meaning-these-days/990270/233 "2023-09-26T19:45:46Z")

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> [@Cheesesteak](#):
>
> Do you realize that certain words and phrases are racist but people who “speak” are not necessarily racist?

I do not think so. For example- the Nword- pretty damn offensive in many contexts. But not racist in Huckleberry Finn or hell even Blazing Saddles. Context is all.

> [@Kimstu](#):
>
> Surely a moment’s thought should make it clear that wearing shirts, and flying flags, and making hand gestures, are all among the actions that individuals choose to take.
> 
> There are actions of that nature that are clearly explicitly racist,

Sure they are. Actions. Not the symbols themselves. The actions give the symbols the needed _context._

So yeah, waving the Gadsden flag while wearing a MAGA hat= right wing trumpist, very likely a racist, at least a racist sympathizer.

Displaying the Gadsden Flag along with the Betsy Ross flag, the Star spangled banner flag, the 48 stars flag- not racist at all, just a show of historical American flags.

Wearing a hawaiian shirt while wearing that same MAGA hat, and carrying a AR15- racist, white power asshat Just Wearing a hawaiian shirt- not racist.

Flying the thin blue line flag as your LEO son died in the line of service- not racist.

Flying the American flag- not racist.

Making the okay sign is also not racist, as the white supremacist dont actually use the standard Okay sign. Just like the V for Victory or Peace sign- palm out means a Good thing, palm in is an insult (Winston Churchill had to be reminded of this quite often, so an occasional oops is not to be taken automatically as an insult. )

It’s all context.

> [@Kimstu](#):
>
> Trying to pretend that that sort of semiotic ambiguity is impossible—that any action that isn’t incontrovertibly a racist symbol

But see here you are arguing actions, not symbols. At a white power rally, waving an American flag is the action that show they are displaying that symbol in a racist way. Flying over a house on Memorial day or used to cover a veterans coffin- it is not and anyone who think so has a diseased sick mind.

The swastika is a BAD symbol. Yes, here taken out of context you can assume people displaying it are racists. But it is also used in native American and East Indian art, and of course worn as a WW2 movie prop, So even a symbol as steeped in evil as the swastika needs the context.

Of course, I think one issue here is that a number of posters think the American flag is of itself a racists symbol,

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