The Yakima Herald’s opinion piece strikes again-this time, pleading with the barbaric, swastika-flag-waving people of Yakima to set their swastikas down, for one day, to see if we can unite under the American flag for Flag Day. Just one day, ignorant conspiracy theorists of Yakima, to remember the American flag and what it stands for.
Bless their hearts.
You can read the article here. Again, the Yakima Herald editorial pieces “reflect the collective opinion of the newspaper’s local editorial board.”
In this snarky, divisive piece that calls for “unity” under the guise of utter contempt for those they disagree with, they start off much like they usually do: painting the picture of American unity, this time, under the American flag due to this piece written for flag day.
Indeed, Flag Day, which is celebrated each year on June 14th, is a day to celebrate: it’s the day we honor the creation of our flag; a day to celebrate American pride; a day to reflect on those who laid their lives down to create the free country we enjoy today.
But the Herald, once again, has an agenda to push, and it’s anything but unity. According to the article, people in our valley “have decided that living under the flag isn’t good enough.” They go on to list a variety of alleged flags flown in our community: “American flag design” but with “changed colors depending on their “secret” (wink wink) meanings,” “obscene messages about which leaders they hate” which can still be legible through “all the diesel exhaust” of their vehicles (because clearly, those who hate the leaders the editorial board support cannot drive anything but a gas-guzzling truck), and “front-yard flagpoles sporting mysterious-looking moons, stars, cross, skulls, or menacing snakes.”
Let’s take a look at their list, shall we? The most prominent “American flag” with “changed colors” is the “Back the Blue” flag: a flag which shows support for police officers. The meaning of this flag: “the blue represents the officer and the courage they find deep inside when faced with insurmountable odds. The black background is a constant reminder of fellow fallen brother and sister officers. And the line is what police officers protect: the barrier between anarchy and civilized society. “[1] The “wink wink” they throw in there of course implies something sinister here, but what? Only the Herald knows.
Flags containing “obscene messages” about “leaders they hate” can be found across the board of political parties and is not a one-sided issue. Flags flown behind diesel trucks, like the article mentioned, must be referring to our local “cruise the Ave” nights. During one of these nights, it is common to see various flags waving from the back of vehicles-including diesel trucks. The flags include American, Mexican, and political. What specifically was the Herald referring to that is “obscene”? Since non-American flags are divisive, according to the Herald, are they suggesting the people who enjoy cruising the Ave can’t display whatever flag they choose to on their personal vehicle without being “anti-American”? Yikes, Yakima Herald!
And for the last cluster of flags that offend the Herald’s editorial board, we have “mysterious-looking moons and stars” (???), crosses (the Christian flag?), and of course, the “menacing snake”-the “Don’t Tread on Me Flag,” officially called the Gadsden flag. “Don’t Tread on Me” was a motto and a battle cry intended to warn the British crown that the colonies will defend themselves if attacked and is flown to show “patriotism and support for the American nation.” It is also “synonymous for independence, freedom, personal defense, and the willingness to fight for one’s own rights and liberty.”[2]
The editorial board goes on to accuse the people of Yakima of flying flags of “countries or causes that have long been defeated, discredited, and disgraced” and lists the Confederate flag and of course, their favorite accusation-the swastika, and state: “You have to wonder whose side some of these guys are on anymore. Are they still rooting for America? Do they truly wish the Nazis would’ve been able to continue their bloody, racist rampage across Europe?” Again, I ask: where are these Nazi flags the Herald continues to accuse the people of Yakima flying coming from? According to earlier in this piece: “Drive around Yakima or hit nearly any backroad in the Valley for a few miles and you can’t miss these guys.” Sigh. Once again, the Yakima Herald editorial board takes reality (people flying flags of movements they agree with on their own personal property) and turns it into Nazism or accusing the backroad bumpkins of the Yakima Valley of the American flag not being good enough for us.
They go on to say how us lowly Yakima residents are most likely fueled by “ignorance” and how we are “vulnerable to twisted narratives, kooky conspiracy theories and online influencers.” Twisted narratives? Like placing people flying a pro-police officer flag and a swastika in the same category? Kooky conspiracy theories? Like driving just outside the city of Yakima to our rural areas and seeing Nazism running rampant? It’s on “nearly any backroad in the valley,” right Yakima Herald? Talk about kooky conspiracy theories! It makes me wonder if any of the editorial board members have ever even been to Yakima-are they even from here? Who’s writing these divisive pieces? These are some awful, crazy accusations against the wonderful people of our city with absolutely no basis in reality.
The article is clearly a hit on anyone flying any flag that is not the American flag, as that is the only flag that should be flown on our personal properties, right? What about the Black Lives Matter flag? Or the pride flag? Or the Ukranian flag? Those have significant meaning to some people of the valley and can be seen flying in yards of those who’d like to support these causes: is the American flag not good enough for them, either? Or is this only applicable to the flags flown that the Herald dislikes (and thus likens to swastikas. *Eyeroll*).
People on both sides of the political parties can and do fly whatever flag they feel passionate about. No one is advocating for the removal or upheaval of the American flag-the article doesn’t even suggest this-but for some reason, flying a pro-police officer flag in one’s own yard or an anti-Joe-Biden flag on one’s personal vehicle is anti-American. The truth of the matter is, if on flag day-a day to celebrate the American flag-stands for anything at all, it’s for freedom. Whether it’s a “Don’t Tread on Me” flag or a Black Lives Matter flag: you are free to fly whichever flag on your personal property that you’d like. Flying a flag of a matter that is important to you does not make you anti-American or anti-American flag. If the flag truly represents freedom, then the opposite of this is true: we can fly flags we agree with because of the freedom bestowed on us by the tremendously brave ones who fought for us and our rights to do so.
Which brings up an important point: the whole article by the Herald’s editorial board slammed the residents of Yakima for flying flags on their personal properties, with no mention of what flags should be flown at our governmental properties: where the American flag should absolutely be flown as a representation of all Americans. Why didn’t the article bring up the pride flag? How, up to a month ago, it has been displayed on our local governmental property the last couple Junes for pride month. Not one’s house. Not one’s vehicle-but local, governmental property. The flag-note, also not the American flag, was only recently taken down (in a 7-0 approval by Yakima city council) after a recent Supreme Court case which ruled that a request to display a Christian flag on a governmental building in Boston where several other personal group’s flags were displayed was denied and that that denial was a violation of the first Amendment.[3] Essentially: allow any private entity’s flag to fly or fly only the governmental flags: the latter being the decision not only by the Supreme Court, but also by the city of Yakima.
Yakima Herald, did it bother you that our own governmental buildings were displaying a flag that wasn’t the American flag? This wasn’t on the back of a big, diesel truck or a yard flagpole, but on a building that is supposed to represent all of us. No mention if it aligns with your own personal agenda, perhaps?
In closing, the Yakima Herald editorial board seems more interested in slamming the people of Yakima with opposing views and once again painting them with the brush of Naziism rather than truly unite us. Today, we hope you do honor the American flag for Flag Day but also, take a moment to be grateful: grateful to those who fought for our freedom; freedom to pursue happiness, freedom to gather truly under one flag as a nation, and the freedom to personally fly whatever other flag you want to on your own property.
Because it’s all about freedom, baby.
At Accurate Perspective, we reject all racial supremacy and won’t tolerate newspapers writing bureaucratic bullying hit-pieces on Yakima citizens. We must do better! #EndBureaucraticBullying
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[1] https://www.usflags.com/thin-blue-line-usa-flag.html
[2] https://wethepeopleholsters.com/blogs/news/what-is-the-dont-tread-on-me-flag
[3] https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/05/02/boston-violated-first-amendment-when-city-denied-christian-flag-supreme-court-rules/
