The Utah state legislature has voted for a new state flag. It now goes to the Governor for his decision.
Apparently this item took up more legislators’ time this session than the decision to pass a $400 million tax cut.
Proponents of the new flag say that it’s simpler, and can be slapped onto t-shirts and coffee mugs. State marketing patriotism at its finest!
Although I do agree that it’s better than the current gawdawful design:
shield on a field?
written words?
dates? and (two dates, for some reason)
complicated bald eagle, spears and flags?
Current design:
Proposed new design is much simpler and more distinctive. As soon as I saw the giant bee-hive, I said “Utah”! (Why a beehive is Utah’s symbol, I have no idea , but at least I knew immediately what state it was.)
The beehive was adopted as a symbol by the early Mormons who settled in Utah, because of the supposed industriousness and self-sufficiency of bees. The symbol was carried over when Utah became a state.
1 less “State-Seal-On-A-Blue-Field” flag. That’s reason enough to like this flag. The proposed design looks a little too much like a commercial logo for my tastes but I will definitely buy one to go with my other state flags.
There’s something I don’t like about it. I love the concept - red rocks, mountains, beehive. But the execution is not pleasing to my eye. I think it’s the hexagon, it’s too prominent and distracting. Does the hexagon symbolize something?
This page has all of the state flags, though it is out of date.
The boring, state seal on a blue field was widely derided, with most of the worst flags (like Utah’s or Minnesota’s) being that type. A few states have updated their designs since, including last-place Georgia and Mississippi.
I like the new design, though it is like a commercial logo.
I think it would look awesome on a state license plate. As a flag it’s a joke.
Flags and seals are supposed to be Olde Tymey harkening back to the founding of the entity they represent. Not updated every few years like corporate logos. That way lies madness.
Even in Utah, there’s separation of church and state, even though today’s Qliban, er Republican Party is dong its best throughout the entire country to ensure SOCAS is consigned to the dustbin of history.
State flags were mostly invented so the state could have another tchotchke to show off at each grand exhibition of state crap, with each state’s butter sculpture and official flower and such. So even if it is a corporate logo, that seems entirely in keeping with the history.
New Mexico has an excellent state flag. I’m also a big fan of Ohio’s, and would be even if I didn’t live here.
I’m not crazy about the proposed new Utah flag - it does look a bit too sleek and corporatized - but I agree it would be an improvement over the current one.
, but at least I knew immediately what state it was.)