Contemplating the Mysteries of the World - Part 9: Flags

To start, I apologize that I basically disappeared off of the face of the earth for the last week or two, time has just gotten away from me. I am also in a Play next weekend and rehearsals have been crazy. Anyways, FLAGS!

Throughout history, many groups of people have used flags to represent themselves. They can have a lot of symbolic meaning that many people relate to. Today, every country, subdivision, and territory has some sort of flag, whether it is official or not. My question is, why do we do this? When did people decide that a strip of fabric with some specific colors on it in a pattern has meaning? And why do people feel so strongly attached to them? It may be national pride, or a sense of accomplishment after conquering a new land.

Flags are an important part of the history of the world, for one reason or another. Today, I have only met 2 types of people regarding flag knowledge, the people who know almost nothing of them and make fun of people who do, and the people who can recognize the flags of at least 50 countries without struggle. If flags are so important why don't more people care about the flags of the world? Most people know the flag of their country and maybe a few others. I don't get it.

Let's also talk about how the same flag can have different meanings to different people. Let's use the flag of the United Kingdom as an example. The Union Jack used to be the symbol of the vast British Empire, so while today many people in the UK see it as a national symbol, people who were formally under the control of the British during Colonialization might see it as a sign of unwanted oppression. The same is true with the American Flag. To many, the stars and stripes are a sign of freedom, but to the people of nations that the USA has invaded, they may see it as a symbol of the war and destruction that was brought into their community by these people. The flag of Kosovo may mean both independence and rebellion to different people, it is all about what side of the issue you are on.

Nowadays, everything has a flag. From political parties and movements, to schools and sports teams, these banners represent the things that people believe in and love, which makes these cloth banners very important to everyone's daily lives. So why is it that people want to be ignorant about them? Honestly, I know that I will never understand people who choose to be ignorant about anything (in case that wasn't obvious). I think that knowledge is power and people should try to learn as much as possible about every topic.

Okay, I think I am done ranting about flags. Wait, was I even really ranting? If you cannot tell, I am exhausted and am having a very hard time being snarky right now, so if you don't hear from me for another week, that is why. Okay, I will stop wasting your time now.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Rosie.