The flag

        Before the attacks of September 11 it was assumed that America was an untouchable giant.  After these events public perception of America shifted dramatically. Sarah Vowell touches on this in 'The partly cloudy Patriot."

        Vowell "The only words you hear more than patriot are 'in the aftermath of' and 'since the events of September 11.'" She goes on to talk about how the country seemed to come together; with patriotism soaring. For example the Halloween shops selling out of Uncle Sam costumes and people getting flags in their cupcakes. 
     
       Her reaction to when she woke up on Independence Day with a flag in her lawn always stuck out to me. The first time I read this section I didn't understand why she would react the way she did. However later in the reading, she explains it. The image that the flag may give, is one of a militia type in the backwoods of Michigan cleaning their gun. Although the flag isn't inherently bad, often times the people who associate with it can taint its image.

       

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