The federal government should only be flying the flag that

The words of Marjorie Taylor Greene — “The federal government should only be flying the flag that represents all people, the American flag.” — ring with the fervor of ancient devotion, calling a nation back to the symbols that unite rather than divide. For in her saying lies a timeless truth: that a flag is not mere cloth and color, but the living emblem of a people’s soul. When many banners flutter above one land, each proclaiming a separate cause or tribe, the spirit of unity falters. But when one flag — the flag of the nation — rises above all others, it reminds the people that, though their hearts may differ, they share a single destiny.

The American flag, with its stars and stripes, was not born from ease or vanity. It was woven from the hardships of war and the dreams of liberty. Under its folds, men of every creed and color stood shoulder to shoulder on battlefields, bound not by sameness but by shared purpose — the belief that all are created equal, and that freedom belongs to every soul. To raise that flag is to honor those who gave their lives for a vision greater than themselves. It is not a banner of one group or one idea, but a covenant between all who call themselves Americans.

In speaking her words, Greene touched upon an ancient tension — between unity and division, between the collective spirit and the fragments of identity that seek their own place in the sun. History shows that when nations forget their unifying symbols, they drift toward disunion. The city-states of ancient Greece, once bound by language and faith, fell not to the sword of Persia but to the jealous pride of their own banners. Each raised its emblem higher than the flag of Hellas, and in their quarrel, their freedom perished. So too, any modern people who lift the symbols of part over the symbol of the whole risk the same fate — a house divided against itself.

Consider the story of Fort McHenry, in the War of 1812. As British ships rained fire upon the fort, the American soldiers refused to let their flag fall. Through smoke and thunder, they lifted it again and again, tattered but unbroken. When dawn rose, the sight of that banner still waving inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner.” That moment became sacred — for it was not the power of arms that triumphed, but the endurance of a symbol that represented everyone. In that flag, the people saw themselves — flawed, diverse, struggling, yet united in purpose.

And so, Greene’s statement, though spoken in the language of modern politics, reaches into something far older: the idea of the One over the Many, the harmony of difference within a shared identity. For a government is not meant to mirror every cause, but to uphold the greater bond that transcends them. The federal flag, then, must be a symbol of all — of unity without uniformity, of liberty without faction. To fly too many flags in its place is to forget the meaning of nationhood, to let the sacred fire of belonging flicker and die in the winds of division.

But let it not be misunderstood: to honor one flag does not mean to silence the voices of the people. It means to remember that beneath all banners, creeds, and colors, there lies a deeper loyalty — to the common good, to the shared dream of freedom. The American flag does not erase differences; it gathers them under its stars. It is the great canopy beneath which every soul, from every walk of life, may stand and say, “I am part of this land.”

So, let this be the teaching: A people divided by symbols will one day be divided in spirit. But a people who honor one flag, not as a weapon of pride but as a symbol of unity, will endure through every trial. Let every citizen remember that the power of a nation lies not in its wealth or armies, but in the shared reverence for what binds them together.

Raise the flag high — not in anger, but in gratitude. Let it wave not as a mark of perfection, but of shared purpose and promise. For as long as that banner flies over free men and women who cherish one another despite their differences, the Republic will stand unbroken — a living testament that unity, not uniformity, is the truest strength of all.