We Americans, liberals and authentic conservatives alike, are greatly to blame for allowing the American flag to be corrupted into a symbol of Trumpism. Admittedly, our nation has always been at odds with itself, reckoning with the contradictions between our ideals and our acts. We’ve never been unequivocally good, and the flag has flown over violent land grabs, slavery, and other suppressions of freedom. But out ideals are admirable and inspiring and, at its best, our flag represents those ideals at least as aspirations.

It’s too weak a response to say it’s our flag too, that we’re as patriotic as Trumpists are, because Trumpism is not a proper measure of patriotism. Indeed, Trumpism is deeply unpatriotic. Yes, it celebrates symbolic patriotism, the Pledge of Allegiance, “God Bless America,” chanting “USA, USA, USA,” iconic flags and pickups. But, while full of jingoistic bluster and powerful emotion, Trumpism is essentially a list of grievances with everything that makes America great; actually, with everything that makes America America in the best sense. Patriotism, the real stuff, has more to do with respect for our nation’s best founding and defining principles, sincere fondness for our fallow Americans, concern for their life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness.

The Place

Start with America — the Place, the real estate. Is Trumpism an ideology that values our land? Our water? Our air? Our ecosystem of various interdependent species? Does Trumpism embrace a system of science-based environmental protection and rehabilitation? Does Trumpism take responsibility for a serious response to human-caused Global Warming? The Trumpist agenda is to roll back our entire environmental protection regime; land, water, air, and ecosystem. “Drill, Baby, Drill.”

The People

Does Trumpism tend to the well-being of the American People? Well, yes, in some cases, the very wealthy for example. But the targets of Medicare cuts are Americans, too. Our Old Folks are American Old Folks. Our small rural communities are small American rural communities. People who struggle economically and must rely on various forms of government aid, and who will suffer from reduced help, are struggling Americans. So, too, are Americans of various pigmentations from whom Trumpism strips away the protections of Diversity, Equity and inclusion efforts. The women whose authority over their own bodies Trumpism has stolen are American women. The LGBTQ+ folks for whom Trumpism displays such contempt are Americans.

The Principles

Besides representing a place and a people, our flag represents our founding and defining principles. There can be intelligent, good faith disagreements about whether or not a particular policy violates those principles, but Trumpism is a sustained comprehensive attack on the intellectual and ethical pillars of our republic. The following is a very incomplete sampling.

Sovereignty of the People? Denial of the 2020 election. Pardons and appointments of January 6 insurrectionists. Voter Suppression.

Checks and Balances? Rubber stamp Congress. Blatantly illegal executive actions. Complaints about “judicial interference.” SCOTUS grant of dictatorial presidential power.

Federalism? Military Interference in California.

Free Speech? Arrests for disapproved editorials.

Freedom of Assembly? Military suppression of peaceful protests in Washington and Los Angeles, including tear gas and rubber bullets.

Due Process? Masked men without credentials or insignia, kidnapping people without warrants, incarceration and deportation without trials or even charges.

Cruel and Unusual Punishment? Family separation. El Salvador prison conditions, detention venter conditions.

So, take our flag back.

This is about symbolism, to be sure. But a symbol matters when what it symbolizes matters.

Equality, Life Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness matter. The Constitution matters. That’s what our flag represents, not the darkness of Trumpism.

— Dick McCormack of Bethel is a retired politician and teacher, and still a folksinger.