Flags was RE: On the Loyalist Problem

["Smith, Gerard" <gsmith@xxxxxxxxx>]

In the face of America's manifest destiny, Black Kettle (Motavato) of the
Southern Cheyenne sought promises of peace from President Lincoln. He was
given tokens of peace: some pretty medals and an American flag.  To the
members of Black Kettle's People the American flag given to him represented
a "promise of protection."  Fly "Old Glory" over your village said President
Lincoln and you will be protected from attack. Then days later, at dawn,
Colonel John M. Chivington attacked, killing 200 old men, women, children,
and a handful of braves: The Sand Creek Massacre. Realizing the village was
under attack Black Kettle quickly raised the American Flag over the village:
he survived the massacre. He was not to survive the next massacre. Four
years later the survivors were again attacked at dawn. This time by George
Armstrong Custer, who with the 7th Cavalry's theme "Gary Owen" playing,
murdered forty other Cheyenne, again mostly women and children, at the
Washita River.  Chivington's and Custer's genocidal troops proudly flew "Old
Glory" during the charge and subsequent carnage.  Black Kettle's People
"loyally" followed their chief and accepted his explanation of the flag's
meaning, a flag they formally understood as representing an invading horde
determined to subjugate or exterminate them.  To the soldiers of the 7th
Cavalry, who loyally flew the flag, it represented patriotism, duty, and
loyalty to President Grant, their Commander and Chief, whose advisors,
General Sheridan and General Sherman, argued  "The only good Indian is a
dead Indian" and "nits make lice."  Under Sheridan's orders, The Buffalo
Soldiers--former slaves--flew "old glory"  as they shot thousands of buffalo
that they knew the Cheyenne and other plains tribes depended upon for food.
For the Buffalo Soldier the "flag" represented freedom from slavery.  Did
they comprehend the hypocrisy of their actions?

Now some Irish Catholics fly the symbol of Palestine resistance and some
Irish Protestants fly the Zionist symbol of "manifest destiny."  No one is
confused by the symbolic nature of these acts. Flying a symbol of oppression
and genocide whether or not those flying the flag are "loyalist" or
"hate-mongers" still sends a clear message.  To the Palestinian the Zionist
flag represents repression and genocide, to the Zionist it represents
loyalty to God and Country.  Neither side is confused about this, neither
are the Irish Catholics or Protestants confused.  Each "pledge allegiance"
to the concept behind the symbol that they proudly wave.

Gerard


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