Since being out in Montauk for 5 months, I’ve noticed countless American flags. It’s a town with a conservative streak, but the flag explosion seems new. I’ve seen them on houses, on flagpoles in town, outside of restaurants—everywhere. Just to emphasize how many flags there are in Montauk, these photos are just the flags I saw on a short 15-minute walk in my neighborhood. There must be dozens more all around Montauk.
Now, I don’t think it’s wrong to have an American flag, because America can represent so many different things (a philosophy of freedom, individualism, democracy) but I do think they run the risk of being insensitive to the time we’re living in (Black Lives Matter movement, racial injustices by police, the COVID-19 pandemic and the president’s inability to address it, etc).
I also think that flags show a certain pride and desire to emphasize one’s support for something—they’re showy and purposeful—so when, at a time like this in our country, someone puts up an American flag, it sends a very clear message: I am an American and I don’t choose to see how this country has failed certain groups of people and how we’ve done horrible things, because I will always be loyal and America is great and amazing.
