Why many American states and cities are changing their flags
THE LOBSTER is ubiquitous in Maine. Its image is on everything from licence plates to home decor. Now another emblem is growing in popularity: a green pine tree with a blue North Star, designed by Bethany Field and Chris Korzen, founders of Maine Flag Company and Original Maine. Their hand-stitched flags are inspired by the original 1901 official flag of Maine and also nod to the state’s maritime burgee. It can be found on sweatshirts, car bumpers, Adirondack-chair cushions and front porches. Its grassroots popularity has given momentum to a legislative proposal to switch from the current official state flag, which features the state seal, to a version of the simpler 1901 banner.
Other states are changing their flags. In March Utah swapped its busy seal for a big beehive, a symbol of industriousness. As simple and lovely as this is, it is not without controversy. Some say the flag, which also has Native American symbolism, is “woke” (despite being proposed by a conservative Republican) and want the old one back. Mississippi scrapped its flag in 2020, because of its Confederate imagery. Massachusetts and Minnesota want to redesign their banners, each based on a seal with troubling depictions of Native Americans.
Many municipal flags are terrible, too. “Why city flags may be the worst-designed thing you’ve never noticed”, a TED talk by Roman Mars, a podcaster, in 2015, shone a light on how awful many official flags are. Since his talk, which has had 7m views, the North American Vexillological Association has documented more than 300 cities redesigning flags. Mr Mars singled out the (still unchanged) flag of Milwaukee as the “kitchen sink”. Its images include a barley stalk for the brewing industry, a gear representing industry, a ship and, bizarrely, a wartime-service flag—a flag within a flag.
2023-06-29 09:38:40
Source from www.economist.com
rnrn