It’s a fun experiment.

You just don’t seem to grok this, do you, Rob?

All these little symbolic acts of civic devotion are harmless in spirit, but in practice, they are ways of intimidating and coercing people to toe the mark, get with the program, get in line and queue up for the slaughter. Its mind control. Sure, there is no law telling anyone you HAVE to stand for the anthem, or the flag, but if you refuse to do it in a public place you immediately attract the attention of zealots who feel it is their duty to enforce the orthodoxy, and are just waiting for any excuse to ruin your life with patriotic impunity. You know perfectly well how that works.

Look at what happened to that football player who “took the knee”, or the Olympians who gave the Black Power salute during the medals ceremony. Their careers were ruined, and I bet they’ll spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulder. In the age of social media, the anonymous death threat is now part of the political dialog.

I remember the home room Pledge of Allegiance, as well as the Lord’s Prayer (in those days school prayer was not merely allowed, it was mandatory). Sure, there was no law that said you COULDN’T refuse, but you knew perfectly well you were a marked man if you did. That Jehovah’s Witness kid found out the hard way.

This is how fascism coerces and intimidates. It starts off informally, but later it becomes law. First a schoolyard beating, then you lose your job or career, then a concentration camp, eventually, el paredón. Fascists do not like people who refuse to go along. They are always alert for deviations and eager to punish the uppity.

And of course, when one side does it, the other is quick to follow. You can’t say “Negro”, or “black”, or “colored” any more. The politically correct term is now “African-American”. And heaven forbid if you say “Indian” when you mean “Native American”. But of course, I figure you are well aware of that particular little anomaly. The Right is all about “equivalence”.

I’ve watched this movie before, I know how it turns out.

Or is it sadness I feel?

…

Yeah. It’s sadness.

Not embarrassment.

Not just white folk.

Not just straight people.

Not just men.

Not just Christians.

Every citizen. All of them. No exceptions.

But that’s not what the Trump party wants. (It is no longer the Republican Party*. That’s gone. It’s dead.) They want a pure White Christian Nation. I’ve heard them say it. Elected officials.

In my opinion, they violate every part of that pledge. You know that the US flag code says that the flag should not be used as clothing? To wear it as an outfit is disrespectful?

“Indivisible.” All they want is division. The cry is for civil war. Us verses them. We’re gonna kick your asses out. You don’t like it, leave. You’re not speaking English? I’ll kick your ass. You worship Allah? Un American, get out. You don’t worship anything? Begone.

Indivisible. As long as you conform.

EDIT * “Trumpicans” Use it. Make it trend. Or Trumpacants?