Respond To At Least 2 Of These Discussion Questions

Respond To At Least 2 Of These Discussion Questions Responses W

Please respond to at least 2 of these discussion questions RESPONSES with 50 words or more per paragraph. I SAY ALL AGAIN REPLY TO THE DISCUSSION RESPONSES ONLY! Please see pictures attached. Why were these two marginalized groups (immigrants and African Americans) flying the American flag when they were protesting something happening in America? The Immigrants and African American groups were flying the American flag while protesting social injustice in America.

They envisioned America as the country of equality and freedom but realized those ideals were not extended to their backgrounds. It was not an indictment of the American flag but the symbolism that it had come to represent. Ultimately they desired to be treated fairly and humanely. They were looking for those freedoms when they immigrated to America only to find out those values were not extended to them. Why would members of the military believe they were right to destroy an American flag? Do you think their superior officers would have supported their actions? Why or why not? Members depicted in the photos believed they were right to destroy an American flag because of their sworn oath to protect the values and beliefs of America when they joined the Armed Forces. They felt as if the immigrant protestors infringed upon those beliefs protesting events happening in America while displaying/carrying the flag. The members of the military viewed that act as disrespecting the symbolism of the American flag and felt it was their duty to uphold the honor of the American institution.

Their Nativists mentality would have allowed them to look at the immigrant protestors with disdain and irreverence by having the audacity to feel as if they had “the right” to voice an opinion of how they were being treated regardless of the circumstances. Since these photos were taken decades ago I think their superiors would have supported their actions. Military rank and file historically support one another and this would not be any different especially since this was late 19th/early 20th century where injustices were far more prevalent and socially acceptable. Why would the policeman be angry that the child is carrying an American flag? And, why would this small child fight so hard to keep the flag? The policeman would be angry at the child because they were part of the peaceful protest to stop police violence against blacks and voting rights. The policeman probably felt as if the protest was unwarranted and there was no violence against blacks in regards to police brutality. The policeman believed that the protestors were not honoring the values of the American flag and felt it was his duty to uphold the values at the expense of the protestors. The child fought to keep the flag because he also felt strongly about the values the American flag represented and merely wanted to be extended the same rights as the policeman. It was a peaceful protest looking for equality and the child held the American flag as a symbol of pride and belonging.

It can be argued that the American flag symbolized the same thing to each group in the photographs (military / immigrant socialist protesters / police / black civil rights protesters). Explain why the unique nature of American society makes it possible for disparate groups to believe the flag supports their very different agendas? American society makes is possible for disparate groups to believe the flag supports their very different agendas because of our mosaic makeup. Each group whether military, immigrant, police, or civil rights protestors believe in the concept of an equal America for all. The lure of those opportunities exist in everyday life and culture and can be adjusted to suit each groups’ individual needs.

Traditions and customs are shared among various groups becoming the fabric of what makes America the melting pot. If each group would hold the American ideals at face value vs pushing disparaging agendas of superiority, discrimination, and bigotry the America envisioned by all could be realized.

Paper For Above instruction

The question of how marginalized groups such as immigrants and African Americans used the American flag during protests underscores the complex relationship between national symbols and individual experiences. Although the American flag traditionally symbolizes unity, freedom, and democracy, historically, it has also been a battleground for expressing dissent. Immigrants and African Americans, who often faced social injustice and exclusion, employed the flag during protests to reclaim its symbolic promise of equality. They intended to challenge the discrepancy between the ideals encapsulated by the flag and the reality of their marginalization. Flying the flag during protests served as a statement that their fight was rooted in the very principles the flag represents—truth, justice, and liberty—claimed by their ancestors and the nation at large. It was not an indictment of the flag itself but a demand that its meaning be extended to all citizens equally, thereby turning the symbol into a powerful tool of advocacy and hope.

Members of the military who believed it was justified to destroy the American flag during protests often did so because they viewed the act as a direct affront to their interpretive and ritualistic understanding of the symbol’s sacredness. Their allegiance to the flag represented their loyalty to the nation’s ideals, which they believed were being undermined when protestors displayed or waved the flag in opposition to governmental or institutional injustices. They saw themselves as guardians of American values, duty-bound to protect the flag’s honor. It is likely that their superiors, especially during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, would have supported these actions, given the social attitudes prevalent at the time. Military tradition historically emphasizes unity and allegiance to the flag, often discouraging dissent or protest that could be perceived as disrespect. The military culture’s nativist and patriotic tendencies fostered a team-oriented mentality that justified suppressing dissenting expressions perceived as unpatriotic.

The anger of police officers at a child carrying an American flag during protests against police violence and voting rights reflects a broader tension between authority and resistance. The police, perceiving the protests as disruptive or unjustified, might have viewed the flag as a symbol of order and conformity that the child Imperiled by the protest, symbolized by the flag, represented their perceived challenge to societal stability. Conversely, the child’s intense effort to keep the flag can be understood as a powerful assertion of the values of equality, freedom, and belonging embodied in the symbol. For the child, the flag was a symbol of hope and rights, even in the face of authority’s opposition. The child’s act of fighting to maintain the flag highlights the universal human desire for justice and inclusion, asserting that the principles it signifies should be extended to all, regardless of race or status.

The multiple interpretations of the American flag by diverse groups—military, immigrants, police, civil rights protesters—are indicative of America’s unique societal mosaic. The nation's pluralistic makeup allows different communities to ascribe differing meanings to the flag based on their individual histories and aspirations. The core idea is that the flag remains a flexible symbol whose meaning can be adapted to reflect each group’s vision of America—whether it’s a land of equal opportunity, a symbol of military valor, or an emblem of civil rights. This plurality exemplifies how American society’s diverse fabric enables various groups to claim a stake in the nation’s identity without mutual exclusivity. The shared belief in the foundational ideals of liberty and justice provides the common ground upon which disparate groups can rally, even as they interpret the flag in ways that support contrasting agendas. Yet, for America to truly realize its envisioned ideals, all groups must hold the flag’s symbolism in its original intent—emphasizing unity, equality, and shared values instead of divisiveness, superiority, or discrimination.

References

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