Have you ever seen the flag of the United States flying all tattered and frayed? To most of us it is an outrage and the damaged flag should be immediately taken down and reverently burned before it ever touches the ground.
But, to be honest, it is the most complicated flag in the world and its very design is fragile. It has thousands of stitches with threads forming 50 white stars on a blue background attached by thread to a design of alternating red and white strips of cloth, all joined together by slender thread that can be easily broken by bare hands.
It is a wonder our flag lasts for anytime at all exposed to sun, wind and rain. Other national flags are much easier to maintain because they are simple and require less stitching and much less thread. It is hard to imagine our forefathers picking such a complicated pattern held together by easily broken threads unless we realize how much our flag, Old Glory, reflects the very nature of our people and our continuing struggle to escape tyranny and govern ourselves.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
A major battle during our war of independence from the British king took place on February 14, 1779 at a place not far from our Madison County, between Lexington and Washington, Georgia. The Battle of Kettle Creek was between Loyalists and the victorious Patriots. The Loyalists were loyal to one man, King George, and the Patriots were loyal to the concepts in the Declaration of Independence to form a government dedicated to the God-given rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
The Patriots and Loyalists lived together, were immigrants, they all worked the land and all were busy building lives for their families. Colonel Pickens, the Patriot, knew the Loyalist commander, Colonel Boyd, because they were both from South Carolina. They were both good men. Boyd was mortally wounded early in the battle and when victory was assured, Pickens visited Boyd as he lay on the ground nearing death. Boyd asked Pickens to carry a brooch and a letter to his wife. Colonel Pickens delivered them to her personally.
They were as similar as good people could be, with one important difference -- they would kill each other over loyalty.
The Loyalists believed fervently in the historical right of their king to command them. He had ultimate power in his hands alone to lead his people. On the other hand, the Patriots were loyal to the ideals that came to be enshrined in the Constitution. James Madison, the namesake of Madison County, in his Federalist Papers, No. 51, correctly pointed out that “if men were angels” no government would be necessary. He went on to argue that absolute power to rule over people cannot be given to one man or surrendered to a political faction; it must be divided between three independent and individually funded branches of government.
The Constitution is built upon the concept of division of power equally between the President and his Executive Branch; the Legislature, which is further divided again between the House and Senate; and, finally, the Judicial Branch, which protects the rule of law.
It is an intricately woven, complex system of checks and balances that governs for the people and by the people. We decide leaders only through the ballot box and we settle differences only through the courts, never by violence.
Old Glory is indeed a fitting symbol for these United States. It requires constant vigilance and maintenance of the threads that bind diverse elements of cloth into a national flag. It also requires the same commitment to protect and defend the fragile Constitution from being torn apart by division and tribalism.
We are in unprecedented and dangerous times. No matter how much we may like him and his policies, we have a former president who refuses to accept defeat even after more than 60 lawsuits challenging the election results were thrown out of court for lack of evidence. He is a strong, talented man and charismatic leader with an intensely loyal following. But by refusing to follow the rule of law and willingly turn over power to the next elected president, he is clipping the slender threads that bind the country. His attacks on the independent Judiciary are ripping open seams.
His actions have led to his two impeachments and multiple criminal indictments from a Grand Jury. We must rely on our judicial system as it performs its task to provide equal justice under the law. Every indicted citizen is innocent until proven guilty and can demand a jury trial. It is the best insurance of a fair trial and we all must accept the verdict, whether we like it or not.
We in Madison County have heard the calls for support of the former president, first on January 6th, and now there are more ominous calls for action and violence on his behalf. We have to decide if we are Patriots dedicated to protecting the fabric of the nation, the Constitution and its ideals; or are we Loyalists to a man intent on ruling at any cost to the United States of America?
As the Battle of Kettle Creek reminds us, good people like us have killed each other in the past over loyalty.
Once again, as James Madison reminded us, “men are not angels.” We need to pledge allegiance to the complex United States flag and to the equally complex “republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with freedom and justice for all” as guaranteed by the Constitution.
Bruce Gandy, of Comer, Ga., is a retired U.S. Marine Corps colonel who led NATO combat forces during the Serbia-Kosovo conflict.
About the Author
